Seasons of Love
by Luna-is-Loony
Summary: AU Kurt transfers to Dalton a year early after being bullied out of McKinley. He falls in love with Blaine, the lead for the Warblers who happens to be straight. Things change when they try out for RENT and start spending some time together...
1. Prologue

**Rating**: M for later chapters

**Warnings**: Angst, language, violence, and sexual scenes

**Summary**: AU Kurt transfers to Dalton a year early after being bullied out of McKinley. He falls in love with Blaine, the lead for the Warblers who happens to be straight. Things change when they try out for RENT and start spending some time together...

**Author's Note**: Alright, so I'm not too sure how this is going to come out. I'm new to the whole AU category and Klaine, but I thought I'd give it a try. The idea popped in my head, and you know how vicious those plot bunnies can be. Also, don't worry, the other chapters will be longer. This one's short since it's a prologue.

Seasons of Love

Kurt loved walking down the halls alone. There was something about the peace and quiet that relaxed him. He could hear the click of his designer shoes echo down the halls and he knew he was alright. Kurt sighed happily and stopped in front of his locker; he just had to grab his French book.

But then an extra two sets of footsteps broke the silence. Kurt glanced over to see Azimio and Karofsky. Oh, God, they must have just gotten out of football practice. Kurt clutched his French book to his chest and shut his locker. Straightening up, he looked at both of them, and tried to look them in the eyes. They lumbered up to him, the same dumb smirks pasted on their faces. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing, just you out of the school," Karofsky said, going to high-five Azimio. Their comebacks never were that witty, though they seemed to disagree. He just had to get out of here before they tried to stir up more trouble. Kurt began to take a few steps backwards, but Azimio's hand shot out, grabbing his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. The smirk was gone and he suddenly looked more intimidating.

"I'm –" Kurt said, faltering. His grip was really strong; it hurt. Kurt tried to nudge his shoulder and shake him off, but Azimio just held on tighter.

"See, we just don't have room for fags like you." His hand formed a fist, and before Kurt could comprehend what was going on and try to block it, it rammed straight into his stomach. Kurt doubled over, tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't breathe.

"We'd just be doing the school a favor," Karofsky added, shoving him into the lockers. Kurt heard a smack as his French book fell to the ground. His arms automatically went up to block his face as he saw Azimio start swinging again, and he felt something rock-solid bash into his arm. Kurt cried out, trying to push the tears back. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going –

His head slammed against the lockers as Karofsky shoved him again. Everything seemed to flash momentarily ad he started to feel dizzy. "Stop, please…" Kurt begged, trembling. It hurt like hell. He felt the pain trickle down, spreading from where they hit him. And his head felt like something scraping outward with an ice pick.

"Fag…" Azimio grabbed his arm, his fingers wrapping around it in a python-like grip, and he twisted and pulled. There was a crack, and the rest of the pain suddenly seemed trivial. Kurt screamed as he felt it blossom. His arm was starting to throb. The pain pierced through him and it felt as if someone was driving a nail through him.

"Oh, shit…" They started to back away. Kurt felt a bit nauseous and dizzy. In fact, things were starting to get blurry or fade out around the edges. His arm was broken, and the rest of him simply ached. He looked down and saw something white sticking out of his arm. Kurt gagged.

"We gotta get out of here." That was Karofsky. "If someone finds us…" There was a pause and then Kurt was slammed against the lockers one final time. "Later, loser." He slid down and closed his eyes.

KBKBKBK

Kurt slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him was white and smelled sterilized. It took a moment to focus in, but then he saw his dad sitting to the side in a chair. He seemed to be asleep. Kurt shook his head. There were other people here too. He looked down at his arm; it was in a cast.

"Kurt, are you okay?" He turned his head and saw Mercedes coming closer.

"I'm at the hospital," Kurt said, feeling somewhat dumb. After all, he was just stating the obvious. "Why am I at the hospital?"

"I should've come with you to get your books," Finn said, coming forward. Actually, the majority of the glee club seemed to be here. The only people who weren't appeared to be Quinn, Santana, Brittany, and Puck. Kurt felt touched that they all cared enough to be here.

"They would've just beaten you up too," Kurt said, although a part of him wished Finn had. Maybe they would have backed off like usual. At least he wouldn't be here right now.

"No, really," Finn said, looking guilty. Kurt felt slightly better when Finn's hand rested on his shoulder, and he managed a small smile.

"But what happened? I mean, after I passed out…"

"Well, I thought I heard something," Mike said. "Matt and I went to check it out. You were screaming pretty loud."

"I don't remember…"

"You were passed out when we got there."

"Oh." Kurt almost felt ashamed.

"We'd better call the nurse and wake up your dad," Mercedes said, giving Kurt's hand a reassuring squeeze. Pulling away, she stepped toward the door, calling out, "Nurse Nancy!"

The nurse came into the room, and Kurt looked up to see Carole standing at the glass outside of the room. So, Finn's mom was here too. He didn't know what this many people cared about him. He felt his face burn as he blushed.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Mr. Hummel." The nurse beamed at him, and looked at the people in the room. "Maybe it'd be best if you leave. I'm sorry." People nodded and mumbled agreements.

"See you later Kurt," Mercedes said, giving him a supportive smile.

"I'm glad you're okay," Rachel added. Even she seemed sincere, and it certainly was touching to see her worried about someone other than herself. Had that even happened before? Everything was always about her problems – solos and lack of appreciation.

Still, the room emptied.

"Kurt…" Kurt turned as his father's voice rung out. He only had a moment to brace himself before he felt a light hug. His dad was careful to avoid his cast. "I'm so sorry Kurt. Those sons of bitches are going to be expelled, I promise. We're –"

"I think you should calm down for a moment. They'll be plenty of time to – err – catch up, but first I need to see how Kurt feels," the nurse said, gently placing and hand on his father's shoulder. His dad immediately nodded and backed up, although Kurt could still tell he was angry from the way his hands reached for his cap and wrung it.

"What happened to me?" Kurt asked as the nurse finally looked satisfied and leaned back toward him.

"Well, you lost a lot of blood. You hit your head pretty badly. And, as you can probably tell, your arm's broken. The bone pierced through the skin. Your radius just snapped."

KBKBKBK

Kurt paced back and forth across the room. "I can't just leave!" He tugged at his scarf with his free hand. He couldn't just leave McKinley.

"It's not safe there. Principal Figgins said that he couldn't expel those kids. I think they're blackmailing him. I'm not going to be a goddamn idiot and send you back there. Look what they did to you." Kurt flushed. His clothes were hiding it, but in addition to the broken arm and the stitches in his head, he had bruises all over his body. A bit of foundation had been useful enough in hiding the one on his cheek.

"What about glee club? They need twelve members."

"And they'll find someone else." His dad sighed and continued wringing his cap. He'd been doing that a lot recently. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? This is stupid. You can't even afford this Da –"

"Dalton Academy. Carole's helping pay for it."

"I don't want her help. And neither should you. She's not my mom!" Kurt shouted, feeling tears start to form behind his eyes. "So, it doesn't even matter what I want?"

"She just doesn't want to see you get hurt again. I can't do it myself, and she came up with the idea. Look, you'll be safe there, I promise." He avoided Kurt's eyes. Kurt could tell his father felt guilty, but it was hard to feel bad when he knew he'd be leaving everything he'd worked so hard for behind.

"And what if I'm not?" His reoccurring nightmare flashed before his eyes – complete strangers beating him up. No one there would know him. No one would try to stop them. They'd just laugh.

"I don't know, Kurt. I just don't know."

* * *

><p><strong>Constructive criticism makes a writer's world go 'round.<strong>


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note**: I have this chapter already written out, so I figured I'd post it. I might get to the second one tomorrow since I have it finished, but I still need to edit it. And then the third one is only half-done as of now. So, we'll see when I get to that. You guys ready for this?

Chapter One

Kurt sat alone in the hallways outside the Dalton office. It was his first day here. He had his Marc Jacobs bag filled with a few clothes to wear on the weekends, some pajamas, boxers – the basics. He had quadruple-checked to make sure he had all the necessities when packing – his lotions, his toothbrush, hair products… He nervously fiddled with the strap. He wasn't going to be allowed to wear scarves or hats even around school, just a traditional little outfit with a blue and red blazer. It wasn't even that cute. Kurt slumped down in the chair, pouting. That didn't last long, though. The door flung open a few seconds later.

"I don't have a problem with him being gay. I'm pro-rights and all. I just don't know how I feel rooming with him."

"I don't want to hear another word of it," the director replied. Kurt felt his face flush. He hadn't even started his first day here and he already was hearing stuff like this. A tanned boy with sandy blond hair walked out of the room, looking slightly defeated. When he turned around and saw Kurt sitting there, he jumped.

"You heard all of that, didn't you?" the boy asked, looking slightly ashamed. Kurt stiffly nodded. "I didn't mean to start off on the wrong foot." He extended a hand and gave a hopeful smile. "I'm Richard James. Look, I know I probably sounded like kind of a dick. I've roomed alone recently. Really, though, I don't have anything against you. I didn't mean to…" He trailed off, looking more and more flustered by the minute. Kurt felt slightly bad. He shook Richard's hand.

"Kurt. And it's fine." Well, it wasn't really _fine_, but he would deal with it.

"Dalton takes a little getting used to. I'm supposed to show you all your classes then take you to the room, but I think it's easier the other way around. That bag looks heavy." He scratched his arm nervously, and Kurt nodded. Everything was different here. They didn't say much as they walked to the room they were going to share. It was a bit like a college dorm. Of course, with teachers around, everything was neater.

"Breakfast hall is going to be down that hall," Richard said, pointing. Kurt, again, simply nodded. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"I don't know." A part of him was determined to be miserable. His dad couldn't force him to stay if he hated it after a while, could he? Actually, he wasn't sure what his dad would do. He'd never seen him this angry. Karofsky and Azimio had gotten off with just three days of suspension each. They admitted to shoving him against the lockers, but they both claimed to have no clue about what happened to his arm. The hallway tapes for that hour had been mysteriously missing, so they had nothing to prove.

"So, what happened to your arm?" Richard asked. Of course he would pick up that topic.

"Someone broke it."

"Football? No, you don't look like a football type…"

"Actually, I was the kicker." Richard blushed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to –"

"No, it's okay." He was tired trying to shove this kid away. Kurt sighed. "People weren't really accepting of gays at my old school," Kurt said, pulling at his tie. He had needed help from his dad putting it on. He wasn't sure how he wasn't going go about doing it for the next two weeks. He didn't want to ask Richard for help, but he didn't see the alternative.

"Oh my God, I'm really sorry. That's horrible." Richard looked like he didn't really know what to say to that, although his eyes were wide and horrified. But then again, what was the proper response?

"Where is everyone? Classes?"

"Yeah. They're going to end soon though. Um, there's a Rec Room there. Just a TV, a couple of armchairs, ping pong table – nothing fancy." It was definitely like a college dorm. He couldn't believe that a simple high school would have all of this. He just wanted to go home to _his_ room and cuddle up on _his_ bed.

"Wow, you guys are never bored, huh?"

"Eh, we usually go out and about. We're allowed to leave campus as long as we're back by ten. And, you know, you can go home on weekends. Once you get the hang of things, I'm sure you'll love it." He paused. "And here's our room." Richard handed Kurt a key and pulled another one out of his pocket, sticking it into the lock.

"Oh, thanks." The door swung open to reveal a small, neat room. The two sides were identical, with beds, dressers to the left, and a closet and a small desk on the right. Inside both of them, there were already a few sets of school uniforms.

"Bathrooms are communal. Um, that's about it, though. You need time to organize now or are you going to do it later?"

"Later," Kurt said, dropping his bag on the bed. Seeing this room and knowing it was going to be his made him miss his everything even more. He missed his dad and he missed the Glee club. And what about his room in the basement – what would it be used for now that he was gone? He trembled and shook his head. It was silly to feel so sad over something like that, but this was all so new and different. He liked things the way they used to be.

"You miss your friends?" Richard asked. Kurt could hear him shifting slightly, and he turned around, pushing the tears back.

"Yeah, but, I mean, it'll be better here, right? No more getting beaten up – that has to be a plus." It was Richard's turn to silently nod.

"Everyone's a lot more accepting here. And, I mean, as long as you work hard, you'll be fine with school. And you can hang out with my friends. Although, we're all Warblers. I'd understand if you felt awkward."

"Warblers?" It sounded familiar. The director had been talking with him about something…

"It's the glee club here." Oh, right… The director had mentioned it, thinking Kurt would be interested. Kurt figured he might as well join it. After all, he needed something familiar and fun. And singing always managed to relax him. He needed something to do that.

"You guys the butt of school jokes as well?" Kurt asked, trying to reach for a casual tone. But even the thought of a slushy in his face made him nostalgic. What was wrong with him?

"No. The Warblers – Well, let's just say sometimes I feel like a bit of a celebrity. Why, was it like that at your old school?" He sounded shocked Kurt chuckled quietly, repeating his thoughts.

"Let's just say it's a tradition to get a slushy in the face by someone more popular." Richard's face looked even more horrified, but then he paused.

"Wait, you were in glee club at your old school?"

"Yeah, actually I was thinking of trying out here."

KBKBKBK

"So, this is your chemistry classroom. Mr. Davis teaches it." Kurt felt slightly nervous. After showing him his classes, Richard had agreed to let him meet up with the Warblers. He said it wasn't up to him, but he didn't see why Wes, David, and Thad wouldn't let him. Kurt repeated the names again in his head. A part of him felt like he had to get everything perfect. At least, he really wanted to prove that he knew what he was doing. This glee club sounded quite serious.

"And Monsieur Black teaches French. Oh, he's still in the room." A man with wavy brown hair looked over and gave a tight smile. He continued looking down and grading.

As they walked away from the room, Richard added, "He can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but he's nice when he's in a good mood." The next room was Mr. Acker, the English teacher. Then it was Mr. Towns the history teacher. Next Kurt had lunch in his schedule.

"You have econ with Mr. French and then calculus with Mr. Neal." Richard pointed at two rooms right across from each other. "And that's it. Right now schedule too. Here, let me take you to the Warblers." There was a buzz and Richard took out a cell phone. He laughed at whatever it said and pocketed it. With that, he ran down the halls, leading Kurt to a room at the end of one of the hall. The paintings on the walls and the chandeliers – he felt out of place.

"Hey guys…" The double doors burst open and Kurt tentatively entered. Most of the group was all lounging around on couches talking to each other. Three of them sat behind a table rather formally. He went up to them and stuck out his hand.

"I'm Kurt. I guess you're – err – Wes, David, and Thad."

"I'm David," the black guy said. He smiled affably at Kurt.

"Thad," a scrawnier boy said.

"And, Wes," the Asian added. "Nice to meet you." Before Kurt could get anything else out, the doors banged open again.

"Sorry I'm late!" Kurt turned around and his jaw tightened. There was a small flip in his stomach. The guy standing at the door shrugged his shoulders and tried to look innocent. It was absolutely adorable. Kurt didn't believe in love at first sight, but lust was a completely different story. He had a mess of black curls on his head, and he was currently biting his lip awkwardly. Goodness, he had amazing lips. What would it be like to kiss them? Kurt blushed. He couldn't think about that, not now.

"Oh, you must be Kurt. Hi, I'm Blaine." The boy reached out to shake his hand, and Kurt accepted. He cringed thinking how sweaty his palm was, but Blaine didn't seem to notice. He just grinned and bounced over to the table. "Faith came over to say hi. I'm really sorry. We just lost track of time."

"You're only a minute or two late. It's fine," David said, laughing. His head turned toward Kurt again. "So…"

"I was thinking of singing – umm…" Everyone was staring at him. There had to be close to twenty people here.

"You'll sing _House of the Rising Sun_," Thad said formally.

"Let him chose," Blaine said, throwing one of his crinkly-eyed smiles Kurt's way. Kurt couldn't help but smile back.

"But everyone always sings _House of the Rising Sun_. It's a tradition." Blaine shrugged. "Look, when you're part of the Warbler council, you can decide."

"So, _House of the Rising Sun_." It wasn't really his style. It didn't seem like the Warblers style either, but the idea of a tradition had been stressed. They seemed to be keen on keeping some things same year in and out. Well, that could be a little dull.

Kurt sang the song with ease. It wasn't really a challenge. The main problem was trying to ignore everyone. At one point it even seemed that Wes kid was taking notes. He liked the laid-back, friendly feel of New Directions. Here everyone seemed to be taking it like a job. But glee club was supposed to be about passion and having fun, wasn't it? Kurt felt a knot form in his throat as he finished the last few notes, and his voice wavered. He glanced at the floor.

"Let's see, it's a bit of a weak finish. You also didn't exactly put in the emotions we were looking for," Wes said, twirling his pen. "But it was good other than that. You have a nice voice." He smiled. "Welcome to the Warblers."

KBKBKBK

"Hey, wait up!" Kurt swallowed heavily. Blaine's hand was on his shoulder. He looked over, trying to look calm.

They had gone through two songs while they were in there, one by Bruno Mars and the other by Katy Perry. One was _The Lazy Song_ and the other was _E.T._ Blaine had gotten the lead in both of them. The rest of the Warblers were practically back-up vocals. But Blaine's voice… If he had thought Blaine was nice before, this just made him that much closer to perfect. There was nothing to compare it to. He sounded sweet enough in _The Lazy Song_, but when he sang _E.T_, Kurt was certain he was going to die. He growled out the words, and the way he just slid down the table – Kurt had stared wide-eyed.

"Kurt, you okay?"

"Huh?" Kurt's voice was an octave higher than usual. He had to snap out of it. "Yeah, Blaine?"

"What song were you going to sing?" Oh, he wasn't thinking of hanging out or anything. Kurt deflated slightly. Still, he had come up to him and started a conversation. That was a start.

"I don't know, actually. _She Will Be Loved_ or _Thinking of Me_ from Phantom of the Opera. I have a soft spot for musicals." He grinned perhaps a tad too eagerly, and Blaine chuckled.

"Think you could reach that note?" Blaine asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Are you challenging me?"

"Maybe…" Kurt blushed. He was acting like an infatuated middle schooler. He had to stop this.

"I'll just have to sing it some other time to you."

"I'd like that. Hey, I'm going to go meet Faith. A few of the guys were probably going to join me. You can come along if you'd like." Kurt nodded.

"Sounds good. Who's Faith?"

"My girlfriend." Kurt felt his stomach drop. Of course he had a girlfriend. With a voice like that how couldn't he. Still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had a thing for straight guys who were dating someone else, didn't he? First Finn and now this. "You alright?" Kurt nodded again.

"Just overwhelmed. There's a lot going on."

"Yeah, I get that." Kurt reached up to fiddle with his scarf, but of course there wasn't one. His yanked at his tie, and it came undone. Great, now what was he going to do. He reached down and grabbed it. Of course his cast had to reach over his elbow.

He looked helplessly down after slinging it around his neck. For a moment he attempted to move his left arm to bend, but of course it was helpless. Nervously chuckling, he reached up with his right and tried to start getting it. But of course it was hopeless. It was impossible to tie a tie with one hand.

"Here, need some help?" Blaine asked, reaching over. He smiled and grabbed the tie. His eyes didn't even glance down. He had probably done his own so many times that it was pure muscle memorization. "Just loosen it at night so you can slip it back on in the morning. With that, he tightened the knot and winked.

"Thanks." Kurt could barely breathe. Blaine had been so close. Kurt could even smell the peppermint gum on his breath. And Blaine was only half an inch or an inch shorter, or so it seemed. His lips had just been there, tempting him. They definitely looked kissable. Kurt squirmed.

"No problem. Just give me your number?" Kurt nodded and reached into his pocket. His phone slipped out and hit the ground. He let out an inaudible groan. This was turning out to be a mess. _Get yourself together_, he mentally scolded himself. Before he could pick it up, Blaine did.

"I'm sorry. Thank you, again. I'm a mess."

"Nervous, huh?" Did he know that he liked him? Kurt attempted to think of an explanation. But Blaine didn't seem that upset, did he? "I get that. I was really nervous when I first moved here too. It's all crazy and fancy. Kind of traditionalist too. You probably noticed that, though with the whole _House of the Rising Sun_ thing." Kurt nodded and breathily laughed.

"Yeah, it definitely has more rules than the glee club at my old school," Kurt said. That's what he was thinking of. So his ridiculous crush hadn't been too obvious. At least, if it was, Blaine was far too big of a gentleman to say anything about it.

A group of guys came their way, and Blaine began talking to other people. Kurt slung back and followed them, smiling. It wasn't like he had a chance, but at least he had a friend. And he would see him every glee practice. He was already starting to warm up to Dalton.


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note**: So, I use French in this chapter. I was switching between studying for my subject SAT and writing this, so it kind of just came up. _I'll leave the translations at the end_. Oh, and the RENT factor will probably come in the next chapter or two. Anyway, here it is - chapter two.

Chapter Two

It was hard to be angry with Faith when she was such a sweet girl. She had voiced her appreciate for McQueen at one point, and he had been unable keep a grudge. A few of his jackets and scarves were by the lovely designer, something Kurt had actually voiced. They had talked about it for a few minutes, mentioning his ability of mixing the elegant and modern. And generally, she had just been kind. She seemed rather happy-go-lucky. Maybe if he was straight he might have found her a catch. But he wasn't. And if found anyone to be a "catch", it was Blaine.

Other than that first day, he hadn't seen Blaine much outside of glee practice. Blaine had been busy with other people. It seemed like he was one of the most popular kids in the whole school. And while he was nice to Kurt, Kurt was feeling the distance between them. Maybe he was being just a tad obsessive, but he just didn't get to talk to Blaine as much as he liked. It was hard to remember that Blaine had a life before he had come. Every night he had to remind himself that he had to appreciate what time Blaine and he had together.

"Alors, de que pensez-vous, Monsieur Hummel," Monsieur Black asked. Kurt jumped, jerked out of his daydream. Blaine sat on the opposite side of the room, and Kurt felt his eyes drawn to him for a moment before he replied.

"J'ai pensé à quelqu'un spécial," Kurt replied before he could help himself. A few people chuckled, and he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Peut-être vous devrez penser de la class française."

"Ah, oui, c'est une bonne idée." He straightened and grabbed his pen. He had been a bit absent minded recently. Although, this was the first time a teacher had called him out. Mostly teachers had let him off slightly easy. What with the cast and his "new kid" status, they must have pitied him. Monsieur Black wasn't much for pity when he was in a bad mood though. He was one of the strictest teachers Kurt had. At least he was good at French.

When the bell rang, Kurt slowly picked up his stuff. He was one of the last people in the room. "Est-ce que –" Monsieur Black cleared his throat and started again in English.

"Are you alright, Kurt? You've seemed more and more distracted. I don't want it to affect your grade." Kurt nodded.

"Thanks. I just have a few things on my mind. I'll try to pay more attention, though. Sorry." Monsieur Black nodded and cleared his throat, looking down at his computer.

As he looked over, he noticed Blaine was still in the room. Kurt rubbed at his temples. How much of this could he handle? Sometimes things felt hot and cold with Blaine. Still, the bubbly smile managed to Kurt to feel slightly better. As they went into the busy hallways, Blaine turned and faced him. He started walking backwards.

"So, who's the special someone?" Blaine asked, one side of his mouth twitching upward. Of all the questions Blaine could ask him…

"Oh, just someone."

"Ooh, secret relationship, huh?" If only.

"No, he just doesn't know I feel the way I do. But he's really cute and amazing and –" Kurt cut off, feeling a bit empty. It didn't matter much, did it? Blaine was asking him as a friend. And here he was, mooning over him.

"That's too bad. You deserve someone, Kurt. Wish I could help." _Oh, but you could_, Kurt thought.

"Nice of you." He laughed, trying to relieve a bit of the tension. Blaine chimed in, and his eyes crinkled again. Kurt felt his smile ease in more comfortably. But then Blaine veered slightly, and started to walk toward a wall. Kurt reached out, pulling him.

"Wha –" Blaine must have not expected it because he toppled forward towards Kurt. They bumped against each other, and he felt Blaine attempt to steady himself. Kurt stumbled as well, and somehow he ended up falling back against the walls. Blaine's hands fell on either side of him. More importantly, Blaine practically _draped_ across him. Kurt gasped and felt his face heating up.

"I'm so sorry. You were about to run into a wall. But I guess I didn't really stop that. I'm really sorry. I didn't –"

"Kurt, it's okay." Blaine pulled back, and Kurt could tell that his laugh was slightly forced. He looked a bit uncomfortable, although, he put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Really, it's fine. But I got to dash to calc. Talk to you later?" Before Kurt could reply he had sprinted off.

KBKBKBK

And things were going well with other people. Jeff and Nick, two of the Warblers had jumped at the invitation to be his friends. They were both energetic and sweet. He sat with them at lunch. He hung out with them a decent amount outside of school as well.

Blaine sat a few feet away, talking with Wes and David. He could tell Blaine still felt slightly uncomfortable from the way he had glanced back once or twice, his brow furrowed. No one else seemed to notice, though. If they did, what would Blaine tell them? _Well, I was trying to be nice, but then he practically attacked me_.

Nah, he couldn't imagine Blaine saying that. He was too nice. But did Blaine suspect something now? Did he think that the "special someone" was him? And if he did, how did he feel about it? He had a headache from all these unanswered questions.

"You seem awfully worried, Kurt," Jeff said, patting his shoulder. "What's happening?"

"Yeah, you do…" Nick went around to his other side. They both put on the same expression and battered their eyelashes. Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes he wondered about them. They pulled back and lay back on the grass next to each other.

"Are you two gay?" Kurt asked before he could stop himself. _I can't believe I just said that_. "I – I mean –" But they seemed to only find it humorous. Both of them burst out laughing. Kurt almost felt hurt.

"Sorry, Kurt. We just get that a lot. No, we're not. We've been friends our whole life," Nick said.

"I guess we just act like it," Jeff said, looking at Nick and laughing all over again.

"We've always been like this. I think our parents even thought we were at one point."

"Now, tell me," Jeff said, "who's that special someone? Apparently you mentioned a special someone in French class." Kurt groaned. Did everyone have to bug him about it?

"I don't want to talk about it," Kurt said, burying his head into his knees. Was everyone going to ask until it became painfully obvious?

"Yes you do," Jeff said, mocking tone. "C'mon Kurt."

"No, I really don't." A part of him wanted to finally admit it to someone else. He was planning on telling Mercedes if he got a chance to see her again. She had been busy last weekend with other stuff, and they had only seen each other once or twice since he'd come to Dalton. But he needed to trust someone at Dalton, too. Nick and Jeff were his closest friends.

"Wait, it's someone here, isn't it?" Kurt groaned.

"Alright, look, if I'm going to tell you, can we at least wait until after school. I don't' want him overhearing."

"Oh, so he's close by." That didn't limit it much. Most of the Warblers had this lunch. They looked around and Nick smirked. "I think I know who this mystery guy is." Kurt nudged him, and he shut up. Jeff gasped.

"Oh, him. Oh, Kurt, you would." Kurt felt like his face must have been maroon by now.

"If you two don't shut up right now…" he said, failing at sounding threatening.

"What are you going to do? Glare at us?" He was far too well mannered to throw himself on the grass and given them a light punch. So, really, all he could do was glare.

"It'll be really disapproving glaring though. You don't want to risk it," Kurt said, laughing.

"Alright, we'll drop it."

KBKBKBK

"What can I get you?" the lady at the register asked.

"Grande nonfat mocha, please." Kurt dished out the change and slid over to the counter, tapping at the wood. "So, you guy supposedly know who it is?" he asked, looking over at Nick and Jeff. He had already made sure the café was Blaine-free ten times, but he still took one final look around.

"Well, you were looking at him when you were talking about this at lunch," Nick said. "It wasn't hard to just kind of follow that and see. But I can see why he's your type."

"So, who do you think it is?" Kurt asked.

"A medium caffé mocha with whipped cream, a grande white chocolate mocha with whipped cream, and a grande nonfat mocha." They each grabbed their order and headed toward the table.

"Let's see, how should we put this…" Nick said. "Well, he's dreamy."

"And he has an _amazing _voice." Jeff sighed and tried to look starstruck.

"Actually, he does a lot of lead vocals. And he jumps on furniture a lot."

"And he has these _adorable_ black curls. I mean, his hair is a mess, but I love it anyway." Jeff stuck out his hand and went to wipe away a few imaginary tears.

"Actually, I hear his hair's insured for $10,000."

"I hear he does car commercials... in Japan."

"His favorite movie is Varsity Blues."

"Are you two sure you're not gay?" Kurt asked, scowling. He couldn't help a slight smile from creeping on his face, though. _Mean Girls_ was a pretty fabulous movie.

"We're pretty happy, yes." Jeff said, sipping on his mocha. Nick punched him, and he started coughing. "I think some of it just went up my nose, you bastard."

"Serves you right," Kurt said, giggling. "But, yeah, it's Blaine…" He sighed. "You figured it out, Sherlock Holmes."

"Elementary, my dear Watson," Nick said, chuckling. Still, the chuckle died fast. "You okay, Kurt?"

"I don't know what to do. Every time he comes up to me, I just can't think of anything other than kissing him. I mean, he has Faith, so it doesn't really matter. But it's driving me insane. I just want him so badly." Nick and Jeff glanced at each other.

"Maybe this bro-talk should continue back in the safety of our dorm," Nick said. Kurt was just about to ask why when he followed Nick's glance. Who other than Blaine Anderson would be walking into the Lima Bean?

"Oh God…" Kurt said, burying his head into his hands. "Every time I talk about him, he just shows up. And then I start behaving like an idiot. I mean, what if Blaine finds out?"

"Code red, code red!" Jeff whispered. Kurt continued rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I'll be screwed. I don't even know what –"

"Code red!" Jeff added again.

"What the hell does code red mean?" Kurt shouted, looking up.

"Um, hi, am I interrupting something?" Blaine asked from behind him. Kurt jumped, and his chair knocked into Blaine slightly. "You alright, Kurt?"

"Just scared me…" Kurt's voice was tight. "I'm kind of distracted." He tried to give a look to Nick and Jeff that would convey his 'why the hell didn't you tell me in normal terms' frustration. But then Blaine's hands dropped down on his shoulders and – holy fuck, was he giving him a massage?

"Saw you guys and I thought I'd pop in and say hi." Kurt continued staring wide-eyed and Nick and Jeff, who looked like they were trying not to laugh. "Are you guys sure I wasn't interrupting something?" Kurt took a quick sip to avoid from having to say anything.

"Nah," Nick said. "We were just giving Kurt bro-tips." And the mocha went down the wrong pipe. Kurt began coughing, and immediately he saw Blaine kneeling down next to him.

"I know CPR," Blaine said, looking slightly amused and concerned. Oh, God, CPR meant mouth-to-mouth contact with – No, he couldn't think about that. Kurt shook his head and took a steady breath.

"Well, then. Not my day, really, is it?"

"I must be a bad luck charm," Blaine said, pulling behind Jeff. "Everything seems to happen around me." Great, he was seeing himself as a bad luck charm now. All he needed was Blaine figuring out _why_ he was so clumsy around him.

"It's been happening all day. Has nothing to do with you," Kurt tried to reassure. His smile was quick and didn't even feel sincere to him. It was hard to do this when he was so nervous. But then Blaine just grinned back – goofily as always – completely relaxed.

"I'm actually meeting Faith here soon. I just wanted to apologize for earlier."

"Earlier?" _That's smart, Kurt, playing dumb, _he sarcastically reprimanded himself.

"Well, I kind of ran away after we – err – collapsed against the wall."

"Sounds like you two had sex," Nick said, chuckling. Kurt threw him a glare, and he looked up to see Blaine blushing. Of course, the next thing he noticed was that Kurt was now giving Jeff a shoulder massage. Apparently it wasn't that special.

"Hey, you guys," Faith chimed in. She walked over, and Kurt sighed. At least now they didn't have to go through that.

"You two have fun," Kurt quickly said, standing up. "We got to get back. But it was nice seeing you. And hi, Faith. Or, um, bye." He stumbled and looked expectantly at Jeff and Nick. They both got up.

KBKBKBK

"Okay, so here's the deal," Nick said, lying back on his bed. Jeff launched himself at Nick and they both started laughing as they shoved each other. Kurt carefully took a seat on the edge of Jeff's bed by himself. The two of them continued jokingly punching each other for a few more seconds, and then they both looked at Kurt.

"You might want to brace yourself," Jeff said. "Knowing you, you might take offence."

"What, do you just know what Nick's going to say?" Kurt asked, scowling.

"Well, the solution's pretty obvious," Jeff replied, leaning back next to Nick. The two of them looked uncomfortably crammed on the tiny bed.

"Masturbation," Nick said, laughing when Kurt immediately jumped up. Kurt felt a small twinge; he had no desire to talk about this with them. That was personal, and he wasn't sure whether he could – After all, he'd never – Kurt blushed.

"No. I'm not going to have a… sex talk with you two. I don't want –" He felt his face heat up even more, and he shook his head, walking towards the door.

"Kurt, please, just give us a chance." He felt a light hand around his wrist, and he turned around to see Jeff giving him a sympathetic look. "We've helped you up to now. At least we've tried. Please…" Kurt relaxed and let Jeff lead him to the bed again.

"Look, Kurt, you're frustrated because you can't have him, I get that. You think we've never liked someone who didn't like us back?" Nick asked. Kurt shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to hear what was coming next.

"But it relaxes you. I promise. Just find some time alone and give it a try," Jeff added.

"Time alone? When am I going to find that?" It felt like the only time alone he had was in his room. And even then, Richard could walk in at any moment. The mere _thought_ of someone walking in on that made Kurt shudder.

"I dunno. Your room when you know Richard's not going to be back for a while."

"On the weekends when you visit your dad you get your real room back to yourself don't you?" Kurt nodded.

"Or, here in the showers."

"Wait, the showers! Do people actually do that? I've walked barefoot in there!" Jeff and Nick both looked like they were holding in laughter.

"You live in a boarding school for guys. Of course people do it."

"Have you two done it?" Kurt felt slightly horrified. It had washed away, sure, but it had still been there. People had still done… that.

"Sorry to break it to you, Kurt, but we're guys," Nick said, shaking his head. "God, you're so innocent. How did you even get by at a public high school?" Kurt tensed.

"I got by just fine." Kurt's voice was slightly hurt.

"No, don't take it the wrong way. I'm just glad we could teach you before someone tried to take advantage or something." Kurt looked at the ground.

"Hey, maybe you could try this weekend at your house," Jeff suggested. "Really, just one try…" They both looked at him expectantly.

Kurt nodded.

* * *

><p>The conversation goes like:<p>

"So, what are you thinking about, Mr. Hummel?"

"I was thinking of someone special."

"Maybe you should think about French class."

"Ah, yes, that's a good idea..."

That's pretty much it. Alright, leave me a word or two if you feel like it. You guys know which button to hit. 3


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note**: Sorry it took me a while to update. I actually joined a Glee RP, and most of my free time writing kind of became devoted to that. I also wanted to make sure the chapter went up as quickly as possible. Basically, what I'm saying is this hasn't even been read through, let alone beta'd. Actually, if anyone had any free time and wanted to offer themselves to beta my chapters, I'd be most grateful. Anyway, all the mistakes are mine. You know the spiel. Now enjoy the fun (and there certainly is fun to be had in this chapter).

Chapter 3

Kurt fiddled kept on alternating between lying down and sitting up. Mercedes had asked to see him tomorrow instead of today, and his father had gone to bed early. He was, in fact, all alone in his basement, and his promise to Nick and Jeff kept on circulating in his mind. He wanted to do it, but then again, every time he even tried to calm down enough, he'd just think about what he was going to do, and his heart would start acting all weird again.

It wasn't that he'd never thought about doing this before. He had. It was more of a 'what if' circumstance them, though. Now that he was actually going to do it, he felt nervous, as if someone was judging him. But that was just ridiculous. No one was judging him; he was all alone. Then why did he feel so giddy and uncertain? Well, there was the little doubt in his head – somehow it felt wrong to do this.

Because he knew the moment his hand was on his cock, his thoughts about Blaine were going to be far from pure. It wasn't that he'd never thought about Blaine in… that way, but that was when his mind wandered. And he always felt guilty afterwards. Sure it was 'natural', but Blaine was his friend, and he had a girlfriend for God's sake. Thinking about him in that way sometimes made Kurt feel like he'd done something dirty and wrong.

But of course he hadn't! As Nick and Jeff said, he was a guy. Blaine had probably grabbed his own cock a fair few times thinking about Faith. Just the thought of Blaine doing that made Kurt redden a little. Faith's name echoed around in his head. How would she feel about this? How would Blaine?

"Neither of them are going to know," Kurt said, the whispered of his own voice surprisingly himself. Alright, he was going to do this. He was going to do this and he was going to enjoy it. He reached over to his drawer. He had read online that some guys used lube to avoid chafing. For the next three hours he had periodically made sure he had deleted that from his internet browsing history.

Anyway, it'd been a bit of a hassle getting it. He held the small tube in his hands now, and a bit of him felt triumphant. It was like his little secret. No one knew about it. He swallowed heavily and pulled down his boxers. His hands shook as he uncapped the tube and squeezed a little bit of it onto his fingers. With that, he lay back on his bed.

_I'm all alone. I'm all alone. I'm all alone._ He didn't know why he was worrying so much. With that, he swallowed heavily, closed his eyes. He hardly needed to try to conjure up Blaine in his head because they came so readily. In fact, it was Blaine's voice that first hit him. Blaine with his little Katy Perry fetish – Kurt had seen him singing _Teenage Dream_ the other day. Gently, reverently, he touched himself.

Blaine changed, and suddenly he wasn't singing anymore. Instead, he crawled over, a delicious smirk planted on his face. _"Oh, Kurt…"_ Blaine was straddling him, and his lips were so close. Without waiting, Kurt leaned forward, pressing them together, and their bodies became a mad tangle. Blaine's fingers furiously began working at his buttons, and he threw all of their clothes to the floor. Kurt moaned, suddenly exposed. He felt a light draft and shivered.

Blaine pulled away slightly, and he looked at him with lustful eyes. His hand reached down and grabbed Kurt's cock, tugging gently. Kurt arched upward into his own touch, his hand rapidly already transformed into Blaine's in his mind. The gentleness quickly faded away, and he yanked down almost painfully, squeezing the base and sliding down to the tip. His fingers lightly pinched his head and ran over the slit. In his mind he could see Blaine moving his hands away, his fingers glistening with his precum. With that same wicked expression, he licked his fingers, moaning. Kurt's moans echoed around the room, mimicking the imaginary ones in his head.

But then Blaine's hands were back, and he moved at a faster pace. Kurt throbbed with need. It was becoming unbearable. Kurt's his met every stroke, and he trembled he was so close. It only took that one phrase in his mind. _"Come for me, babe."_ Kurt let out a choked mewl as he came. It spurted out of his cock in thick white strands, coating his chest. Kurt shuddered, his hand still moving, milking himself for every last drop.

"Blaine…" He said, his voice wanton. His hand slowly down to a stop, and his body stopped convulsing. Instead he relaxed back down onto the bed and panted. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he swallowed heavily; his throat was absolutely dry. Blaine's image slowly faded away, and he groaned.

KBKBKBK

"So, how's Dalton life going for you?" Mercedes asked, smiling. "Glee club misses you, you know."

"I miss you guys too. And it's… going." He sighed. "There's actually a guy I like."

"Gay?" Mercedes asked, looking hopeful. Kurt shook his head and Mercedes sighed. "I'm sure you'll find someone. You just haven't found the right guy yet." Kurt reached out and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and laughed. "So, tell me about this guy. What's his name?"

"Blaine."

"Wait, as in the head guy, Blaine Ander-something?" Kurt furrowed his brow.

"How do you know him?"

"I saw him Friday at the Lima Bean. Some of the people in the glee club went there. We were singing, and I don't know, I guess he recognized us because he came up to say hi. He said that you talk about us a lot." Kurt shook his head. Blaine was simply impossible.

"He's cute. Short though."

"Bit of a hobbit, yeah," Kurt said with a laugh. "But he's just about an inch shorter than me, so it's all good."

"I'm not surprised you like him." She paused. "He mentioned he was there with his girlfriend."

"Yeah, Faith, she's nice." Kurt sighed. "At least they never make out in front of us. They hold hands and hug and cuddle, but that I can deal with." It was as if his loneliness just hit him. Suddenly he felt his eyes burn as he pushed back tears. He wanted a boyfriend, but more than that, he wanted Blaine. He wanted to be cared for and told he was beautiful. He wanted someone who accepted him, but more than that _understood_ him. But Blaine couldn't do the latter. He wouldn't understand. Kurt's hands formed fists and his nails dug into his palms. _Not going to cry…_

"Kurt, oh my God, are you alright?" Mercedes' light touch and worried face was all it took before he started to cry.

"I miss having someone to talk with. It's impossible to talk with the guys at Dalton. And glee club's just so serious. I just want to go back. But I can't because people like Karofsky and Azimio. Because they don't like me because I'm different. Because I like boys." Mercedes wrapped her arms around him, but said nothing. She let him cry and yell. In a school full of boys he wasn't going to get this. And it scared him.

"Even my roommate was afraid that I'd do something. My fucking roommate." Mercedes squeezed him more tightly; she knew Kurt rarely cursed. "It's not my fault. I just want the same thing as them, but I want it with a boy. It doesn't mean I want it with then? And so what if I did? If a girl liked them, they'd be happy even if they didn't like her back. But if I liked them, they'd be creeped out. I'm tired of being treated like I'm some kind of – Some kind of –" He collapsed against Mercedes, sobbing.

There was a pause before he felt her fingers reach toward his hair and pull through it. She made small hushing sounds for a minute before she began humming. The song was painfully familiar, yet he couldn't remember it. What was it? Like the tick of a clock before falling asleep, it began to irritate him. Then the absurdity of the situation hit him – here he was, sobbing about his life, and yet something as trivial as that still managed to get on his nerves. Before he could help it, he let out a choked laugh.

"What?" Mercedes asked, pulling away slightly.

"Nothing. I just couldn't remember what that song was."

"_Samson_."

"Regina Spektor, of course…" Still, it only a few seconds before the room was quiet and he felt the same dull ache eating away at him. He swallowed heavily, and he wiped at his tears. It was amazing how lonely he felt. He knew he was lucky. After all, his father had paid to let him go to another school. And Dalton certainly was accepting. Not one person had bothered him about it. As for the Warblers, even with their insane seriousness, they were still fun to be around. They were his friends, after all.

But still, knowing that he had been driven out made him feel like something was trying to gnaw its way outside of his stomach. His legs curled into his chest and he whimpered softly.

"Alright, get up?" Kurt looked up at her and lifted himself up, sniffling still. Mercedes pulled herself up and stretched out her arms. "C'mon." Kurt choked out a laugh before he got up and hugged her. Her arms wrapped around him, squeezing tightly, and he wasn't able to breathe for a second. But in that second he started to smile. Even if he felt alone, Mercedes still would be there for him. He wasn't losing anyone by moving. He could get through this.

KBKBKBK

Kurt drew small hearts on his paper. He knew he should be listening to Mr. Acker talk about whatever it was he was going on about, but his mind was drifting recently. All he could think about was Blaine. He wondered what he was doing right now in calculus. What if he was absent-mindedly doodling on his own paper? Kurt smiled at the thought.

"So, Kurt can you tell me what symbol the clocks hold in The Great Gatsby, then?" Mr. Acker asked, smiling at him. Kurt's face immediately started to light up. Were his teachers out to get him? First Monsieur Black had called him out and now this.

"Well, um…" He thought back to the book. There was that one frozen clock. Alright, it was time to BS. "It showed that he was caught up in the past – Gatsby, I mean." He didn't know what else to say. In the book, Nick had said something important to Gatsby about that clock, but Kurt couldn't for the life of him remember what that was.

The bell sounded.

"Saved by the bell," Mr. Acker said, laughing. At least he wasn't particularly stern. He tended not to get angry at the students. Kurt picked up his books and was quickly putting away his pencil, when he heard Mr. Acker call out, "Nick and Kurt, I'd like it if you two stayed after class."

Kurt froze. What possibly could he have done wrong? And Nick was good at English. No, this had to have something to do with the Warblers. After all, Nick was the only other Warbler he had English with. He threw Nick a glance, and saw that his brow was furrowed.

"What d'ya need Mr. A?" Nick finally asked, edging up to the desk.

"So, there's this small company that makes musicals. Usually they reuse the same crew, but they thought they'd do auditions and let some new people have a go at it. I just thought you Warblers might want to try out your talents somewhere besides school." He smiled and pulled out a small pamphlet.

"What musical?" Nick asked.

"_RENT_." Kurt's heart fluttered and his eyes widened. Of course, shows like _Wicked_ and _Gypsy_ held a special place in his heart, but _RENT_ was definitely ranked in his top five. He never would have thought that a small place like this in Ohio would do something like that. But it had always been a dream of his. And to find out that it was even possible…

"Kurt, you alright?" Nick asked as they walked out of the room.

"I'm trying out," Kurt said, trembling. He simply had to get a part. He wasn't even sure which part he'd want. Roger was the first one to come in mind. _One Song, Glory_ was one of his favorite songs from the musical. Of course, then there was the relationship between Angel and Collins, and that was absolutely amazing. _I'll Cover You_ was another song…

"Wow, you seem really into it." Nick's hand patted his shoulder. "I'm not sure I'm much of a musical person. I love performing with the Warblers, but acting's not my thing. I'm sure you'd have a good chance at it though. Hey, see you at lunch, alright?" Kurt nodded and continued walking slowly down the halls.

He was going to try out and he was going to make it. "I have to," Kurt said aloud. He couldn't help a giddy smile from spreading across his face. Things were definitely looking up.

He bought his food and slid out of line still absorbed in the thoughts of a spotlight. When he got outside, he sat down with the Warblers, pulling out the small advertisement for the company Mr. Acker had given him. "So, did you hear?" he asked, biting his lower lip as he beamed at all of them. "This company is putting on _RENT_ and they're having auditions."

A few of the Warblers looked at him with raised eyebrows, clearly intrigued.

"I'm not sure that's really my thing," Wes said, but I'll make sure to announce it at the Warbler practice so everyone can hear it. He bit down into his sandwich, but both Jeff and Blaine remained looking at him with wide, excited eyes.

"Nick mentioned it," Jeff said, smiling. "I've always wanted to try something like that. Although, I have to admit, I've never seen _RENT_…" Kurt was about to reply with something about how fantastic it was when Blaine spoke.

"It's one of my favorite musicals." Kurt looked at him and bit down on his lip. Of course it was… And he had thought Blaine couldn't get any closer to perfect. His hazel eyes were open wide and he looked absolutely enamored with the idea. When he finally looked up at Kurt, Kurt felt a flip in his stomach. Maybe they could both get roles as Collins and Angel. His stomach churned at the thought.

"Mine too," Kurt said, leaning forward and grinning. He glanced over at Jeff to see the blond smirking at him, and Kurt immediately felt his stomach knot. He wished there was a way to reach out and hit him without making Blaine suspicious. "I cry every time when Angel dies."

"Oh, I know. I cried like a baby too the first time I watched it," Blaine replied. He immediately opened his mouth and blushed after saying it, though. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?" Jeff snorted.

"Very macho, Blaine." Blaine bumped him and tried to glare at him, although he quickly chuckled.

"What can I say – I have a soft spot for sad musicals."

"Don't tell me you cried for more than one?" Jeff asked with a groan. Blaine didn't reply, although he looked away with a less-than innocent look on his face.

"_Moulin Rouge_?" Kurt asked. Blaine burst out laughing all over again and gave him a puppy-like grin.

"My lips are sealed." But the added wink confirmed it. Kurt could barely contain his smile. First he found out about _RENT_, and now he was finding more in common with Blaine. And how many other guys really had cried during _Moulin Rouge_? On top of that, how many goes would dare _admit_ it?

But then Wes called to Blaine again, and he pulled back a few feet. Kurt settled back with Jeff and Nick, staring at Blaine. It was ridiculous and stupid. Blaine was straight. They had no chance. And yet the more he found out, the crazier he was about him. It was absolutely irritating.

"So, you and Blaine had a little time to bond then?" Nick asked jokingly. Kurt scowled briefly at him before lifting his water bottle up to his lips and smiling into it as he drank. And his eyes never left the back of that one Dalton outfit.

* * *

><p><strong>Click it if you want to. You know where it is.<strong>


	5. Chapter Four

**Author's Note**: Alright, so here's chapter five. No one offered to be my beta (sadness), so again this remains unedited. And I rushed it, so I'm sure there will be many beautiful mistakes for you to cringe at. I'm actually going to Cali tomorrow and I'm going to be gone until Thursday, so I won't have the next chapter up until at least Friday. I just thought I'd give you a head's up. If you're one of those people who can't wait more than a few days between chapters, then please don't read this yet.

Also, I'd like to point out something that two people actually got. Telly Leung (the guy who plays Wes) actually played Angel in _RENT_, so it was kind of a joke when Wes was like, "Not my type of thing." There's another little joke like that in this chapter because I'm weird like that.

So, let's finally get some Klaine interaction in this fanfic!

Chapter 4

"This is absolutely fantastic," Rachel said, grinning widely. The Warblers didn't have practice for once, and Kurt had immediately run out to McKinley, hoping to catch a Glee practice. He had been in luck, too. One of the first things he had told them about was _RENT_. Out of the group, Rachel seemed the most excited by far, not that it had surprised Kurt much. "Who do you think I'd be good as, Maureen?" She stood up tall and beamed at them. "I think I look a little bit like Idina Menzel, but maybe that's just me?"

"Maybe a little… like a relative or something," Mercedes said, shrugging her shoulders. "I think I might try out as well." Kurt couldn't help but smile. Even sitting here he felt almost like he was back at McKinley. The self-satisfied remarks from Rachel, the blank stares from Finn, even the annoyed glares Santana would occasionally give – it was all there. Everything was like it had been. And judging by the huge hugs he had received when he had walked in, they all missed him too.

Of course, it didn't mean that he wasn't lonely anymore. He still felt like he had to deal with some stuff. Sure, he had gotten a chance or two more to talk to Blaine, but that crush was going nowhere. It didn't mean he didn't wish every night that it was. And he had masturbated once or twice more since the first time. And even when he had attempted to block out other thoughts, Blaine's face always popped up the moment his hand reached his cock.

Then again, now wasn't really the time to think about it. He blushed and looked up as Mr. Schue spoke. "So, Kurt, when are you getting that cast off?"

"Oh, um, actually in two days," Kurt said, offering a bright smile. Actually, he was rather excited about that. He'd been stuck in his cast for what felt like ages now. And at least he'd have it off in time for the _RENT_ tryouts. He didn't want anything to interfere with his performance.

"So, what's Dalton like?" Quinn asked.

Then there was Quinn. It had turned out that she was pregnant, and that little tidbit had been enough to get her kicked off of the Cheerios. She looked different in normal clothes, and she had been unusually quiet the whole time. It must have been a giant leap down the social ladder. Her symbol of metaphorical high school prosperity was gone.

"I mean, it's nice. There's no such thing as getting slushied." Kurt laughed. The thought of the sticky drink coating his face was not one he missed.

"We actually met a few of them," Rachel chimed in.

"Oh?" He had already heard this from Mercedes, but Kurt didn't want to be rude.

"Actually, one of them – what's his name - Blaine, I think, was kind of cute." Kurt stiffened slightly.

"Yeah, he's the soloist, pretty much. He's really nice." He saw Mercedes giving him a warning glance. Of course it wasn't Rachel's fault she happened to make a comment about the guy he had a crush on. She didn't know about that. But Kurt still didn't like the idea of Rachel finding Blaine cute in any way.

"But, I mean, it's an all boy's school. Must be seventh heaven for you," Puck joked. He had a slight smirk on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest. As classic as this kind of a joke was for Puck, Kurt wasn't sure he could really… appreciate it. "Don't you room with another guy?" he continued with a wink. Luckily, Matt hit him, scowling. Puck simply laughed though. Still, he calmed down as Mr. Schue gave him a disapproving glare.

"Is a good singer?" Rachel asked.

"What?"

"Blaine? Does he sing well?" She quit her pacing to smooth down her skirt, and she beamed at everyone as if she were about to perform.

"He wouldn't be the soloist if he didn't," Kurt said smiling. But, of course Blaine's voice was more than simply good. He was an amazing singer. If only Rachel would drop it… He tried to search for some sort of change of topic, but decided against it. It would look slightly odd if he just said something completely unrelated. Thankfully, Brittany did it for him.

"Do all the people in the glee club have the last name Warbler?" She looked confused.

"What?" The question was so ridiculous Kurt could barely keep from laughing.

"You guys are called the Warblers. Did you have to change your name too Kurt?" Her head tilted and she looked at Kurt with wide, concerned eyes.

Yup, some things just stayed the same.

KBKBKBK

Kurt's pen tapped at the book. He had a history test on the Roaring Twenties, and he had barely managed to study for it. Every time he had tried to, something distracted him. Of course, "something" usually happened to be the thought of trying out for _RENT_. The auditions were only a week away. And his cast had finally gotten off yesterday.

He set down his pen and looked at his arm. It was still slightly odd to use it. After spending so much time with it in a fixed position, it didn't feel right to be able to bend and move it around.

"Hey, am I interrupting something?" Blaine slid down in the chair next to him. Kurt felt his lips twitch upward into a smile, and he shook his head.

"No, feel free." Kurt leaned forward and his eyes widened slightly as Blaine licked his lips. God, they were just a foot or two apart. And Blaine was actually trying to have some sort of conversation with him. Not that it was really unusual… But it was nice to be talking to him more.

"Oh, history," he commented, glancing down at the text. "Fun stuff there." He paused again before he added, "Although, Mr. Towns actually is a fun teacher." Kurt nodded again and he glanced down at the table.

"I haven't really been able to pay attention recently," he said, giving a quiet, saddened chuckle. Blaine had no clue how much of his brain he occupied. And if he had any idea, he would probably end up running the other direction.

"Yeah, I've noticed. _RENT_ distracting you?" He patted Kurt's back and offered a sympathetic smile. He looked adorable even doing that. Even smiling like that he managed to jut his lower lip out and pout. It was absolutely infuriating.

"Yeah, it's been a nice thought. I mean, I doubt I'll get in, but it still would be fun." So, it wasn't a complete lie. He was just leaving out bits. That wasn't that bad, right

"I think you have an amazing voice. And, I mean, you were practically born to act out a role from _RENT_. Look at you. You'll get a part for sure." His hand reached out again and this time it just lay there, resting on his shoulder. Kurt swallowed a bit thickly. He could feel the tips of Blaine's fingers brushing against his neck ever so lightly, And the compliments – Kurt didn't even know what to say to them. If Jeff or Nick had complimented him, he would have just brushed it off. But hearing Blaine say that he had such a high opinion of his singing…

Actually, how did Blaine know really what he sang like? He had really just done back-up vocals since coming. Getting a solo over Blaine seemed to be almost as impossible as finding a Marc Jacobs outfit that didn't work.

"I mean, you haven't heard me sing much," Kurt said, unsure how to phrase it.

"I maybe have heard you in the showers the other day," Blaine admitted. The thought that Blaine had been so close to him while he was naked popped up in his head and he was having a tough time turning it down. His throat suddenly felt dry and he barely could form his sentences.

"Oh, did you?" His voice came out higher than he meant, and they got a "shh" from the librarian.

"Maybe we should head out…" Blaine laughed, running his fingers through his hair. Kurt nodded and started picking up his books. Blaine grabbed the history textbook, though. "This book's huge, and you just got your cast off. I'm not going to let you carry it." He gave a triumphant little smirk and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Thank you." They walked out of the library and Blaine headed toward the double doors that led outside. Not knowing what else to do, Kurt followed in silence. There weren't that many other people about – most were probably in their dorm rooms by now – and their footsteps echoed down the halls. It was an eerie reminder of what had happened with Azimio and Karofsky. Kurt couldn't help but shudder, and the small movement didn't go unnoticed by Blaine.

"What's wrong? Is it too cold out?" He had opened the doors. It was perhaps slightly windy, but it was far from cold. It had to be seventy or seventy-one. Kurt shook his head.

"It's just that it kind of reminded me of when I got – umm –" What word was he supposed to use? Attacked? That didn't have the exact ring to it. But Blaine must have understood because his face darkened.

"Did I do something wrong?" Of course he would try to blame himself.

"It had nothing to do with you. I could just hear my footsteps. It's silly. I was just thinking how peaceful it was in McKinley before they came and started beating me up."

"If they ever meet me, they'd better run," Blaine growled, looking absolutely furious. It surprised Kurt that something that had so little to do with him would be able to get him so angry. "I mean, what they did to you… No one should have to go through that – no one!" His hand went back up to his hair again and his fingers ran through it slightly more violently this time.

"It's fine, really…" Kurt lied. He hadn't seen Blaine angry since – Had he ever seen him angry? He was just always jumping around and smiling. Yet here he was getting angry over him. It would have been touching if it weren't about this.

"It's not fine! You're being bullied because of who you like." Tentatively, Kurt reached out and laid his hand on Blaine's shoulder, hoping to calm him down. Blaine jumped slightly and looked up from the ground at him with wide hazel eyes.

"It's not fine, but there's not much I can do about it. I mean, I'm here at Dalton now." He nodded but didn't say anything for a long moment. Kurt was almost afraid that the conversation would just end like that.

"I don't know how you even had the courage to come out," Blaine finally whispered. "If I were you, I would've just pretended to be – I don't know…" He glanced down again, and shook his head.

"It took time. I didn't come out until this year. Although, I think everyone knew." Blaine raised his eyebrows quizzically. "I mean, the obsessions with fashion… Glee club... I don't know. I guess I never acted like a straight guy."

"You're still brave for embracing it. I mean, you had to have known that people would…" He trailed off. "This is none of my business. He went to get up, and Kurt's hand shot up, grabbing the sleeve of his jacket.

"No, really, it's okay." There was a moment where Blaine looked as if he might decide to leave anyway, but then he simply sat down. Kurt could feel their legs pressed together and it took a moment to relax. "It didn't work out well for me." Blaine nodded, but looked down again.

"But you still said something. You still fought for yourself. I don't understand how anyone could just go against you, how anyone could not respect that." Kurt gave a bitter laugh.

"There are plenty of Neanderthals running around McKinley." He paused before adding, much quieter. "It doesn't mean that I don't miss it, though."

"I could tell."

"Huh?" Blaine looked up again and gave Kurt a sad smile.

"I could tell you miss it. Sometimes I see you during class and you look so sad. Kind of lonely… It can't be easy." Kurt felt a knot form in his throat.

"No, it isn't." What was he supposed to say? "It's not that I don't like the Warblers, but…"

"It's just different. We have a lot more rules probably." Kurt nodded. "It's actually why I stopped by when I saw you sitting in the library. I mean, you really only hang out with Nick and Jeff right?" He nodded again.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful. Everyone's been really nice here," he finally choked out. _I'm not going to cry – not in front of Blaine._ "And Jeff and Nick are really fun to hang around."

"You don't sound ungrateful at all. Look at you…" Blaine reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand. Kurt's heart seemed to jump up to his throat and he felt suddenly dizzy. The light squeeze – it felt so close and… He had never wanted to kiss Blaine more. "I was thinking maybe we could go out to the Lima Bean sometime and get coffee. If that's alright with you?"

Of course, it wasn't a date, but it still made Kurt smile. He nodded, unsure how he was going to say anything. He felt like if he did, the excitement would come out in his voice. But then again, he wasn't sure whether he was saddened or excited. On one hand, the topic was still hard to talk about, but Blaine had been so honest about it. And then there was his proposition.

"I'd understand if you didn't want to. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you all these questions. I'll just go. I didn't mean to intrude on – I'll just go." He looked suddenly flustered and irritated with himself. There was that puppy-like quality again. Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Reaching out, his fingers tightened around Blaine's shoulder and he pulled him closer.

"You have absolutely no reason to apologize. I was just zoned out. I'd love to hang out with you." Blaine visibly relaxed.

"I thought I was overstepping some boundaries or something. I just wanted to help."

"I know. Thank you." Kurt reached out, pulling Blaine into a hug. His breath caught in his throat as Blaine's arms wrapped around him. He could feel the tight squeeze, his hands on his back. And as his head rested lightly against his shoulder, he even felt a little scruff. Of course, it only lasted seconds, but still – Kurt blinked rapidly as Blaine pulled away.

"No problem." There was a small buzzing sound and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I've got to go meet up with Faith. But I'll talk to you later, alright, Kurt?" Kurt nodded. He had almost forgotten about Faith in this whole deal. Of course, this didn't change much; they would just be closer friends. "And good luck studying for history. I guess I kind of distracted you." He smiled one final time before running off.

Kurt stood, watching him run off. It was only when he had turned around the corner and disappeared that he fell back down on the bench smiling. Blaine actually wanted to be his friend. And the fact that he had noticed all of that about him made Kurt's stomach flip. He hadn't talked with anyone besides Mercedes about how he felt. But with Blaine it had just come pouring out so easily.

Kurt sighed happily. Dalton life was getting better. A part of him was even excited to share this news with Jeff and Nick. And Mercedes would love to hear it as well. Of course, he had to keep on reminding himself that it wasn't a promise for something special. Blaine had a girlfriend. As a distant school friend it had been hard to be happy with his relationship with Blaine. But Blaine clearly thought he was someone worth having as a friend, and that alone made him more than happy. He could deal with a friendship. Of course, it didn't mean that he would stop liking him… It was just nice knowing he was appreciated.

He walked slowly back to the dorm room, thoughts of the hug flittering around in his head. He could still feel Blaine pressed against him. And he could barely wait to go to the Lima Bean. He'd never been so excited about coffee. On top of that _RENT_ auditions were only a week away. He just hoped his luck kept up.

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><p><strong>Liked it? Hated it? Leave a comment!<strong>

**Also, I love interacting with my lovelies, so tell me...what's your favorite Klaine moment from season two?**


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N**: So, here's chapter five finally! And, yes, you are getting to see the rehearsals at long last. I couldn't help myself with the choice of song, though. And I got a lot of requests for them to sing it, so I don't think many of you will mind. Oh, and a brief mention to the anon: thank you for mentioning that songs like _E.T._ weren't out a year ago. Haha, I totally forgot that. I'll keep it in mind for the future though.

Also, you guys were supremely amazing when it came to beta requests. I nearly melted because so many of you offered. Siriusly, you guys - less-than-three. But my beta is the lovely Percival Jones. Thank you!

Without further ado, here's chapter five!

Chapter 5

"I was thinking of singing _Little Lamb_ from _Gypsy_," Faith said, sipping on her coffee. Kurt grinned.

"_Gypsy_ is one of my most favorite musicals. I mean, _Rose's Turn_ is a fantastic song." Faith nodded and laughed. "I actually want to act in it one day. It's second on my list after _Wicked_, although, _RENT_ sounds pretty fabulous as well."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Blaine said. Kurt couldn't help but notice the way his thumb rubbed small circles on Faith's hand. It was hard not to be a little jealous of Faith still, even with Blaine spending more time with him. The auditions were in five days from now, and he could barely wait. "So, what were you thinking of singing?"

"Well, I actually wanted to do _I'll Cover You_, but I don't really have anyone to do it with. I suppose I could always do the reprise. That part never fails to make me cry." The first time he had watched _RENT_, he had absolutely bawled when Angel had died. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like to live in a world where the one person you loved has died. Then again, he couldn't even imagine living in a world where the person you loved felt the same way about you.

"I'll do it with you," Blaine said smiling. Kurt could feel his cheeks heat up. Just the thought of singing that song with Blaine made his heart flutter a bit. Hoping to avoid saying anything, he reached for his drink again and took a sip.

"Aw, are you two in love?" Faith chimed in, her voice teasing. The hot latte flew into the wrong pipe and Kurt began coughing. Blaine hit her lightly, scowling, and lay a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"You okay?" Kurt nodded. All he wanted to do was change the subject.

"Wouldn't you want to sing your own thing?" Why did his voice have to come out so high and scared sounding? He cleared his throat a few more times as he stared between Blaine and Faith. He couldn't look either of them in the eye right now.

"I mean, I haven't really chosen a song yet, and I love that one. And I don't want you doing that song all on your own." Kurt nodded slowly trying to understand what exactly was happening. Was Blaine going to sing a love song with him? _It doesn't really mean anything._ It was just hard to look at it that way.

"I – Thank you." Faith's fingers entwined with his and Kurt snapped out of it. Honestly, it was just a song that Blaine was going to sing with him. He knew he shouldn't be taking this as seriously as he was. It was just… overwhelming.

"No problem. We should practice." Kurt nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. Things with Blaine certainly were turning out to be interesting.

KBKBKBK

"I think the song works well with our voices," Blaine stated, leaning back, looking satisfied. They had spent a good deal of the last two hours rehearsing the song over and over again. Kurt had complained it wasn't emotional enough, and Blaine had done his best to make it work. And hell if it didn't sound amazing…

Blaine had dragged them back to his room when they had finished. He had pulled some chips from his dresser drawer and was munching on them. Kurt couldn't help but feel a certain sense of horror as he saw the crumbs fall all across the bedspread. Blaine wasn't the neatest person he knew. Still, it was _Blaine_; that made it easier to forgive him.

"Do you not…?" Blaine asked, snapping Kurt out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Oh, Kurt, you really don't pay attention. I was just saying I think we're going to kick ass tomorrow." Kurt felt a slight stab of jealousy. It was amazing how secure Blaine was of himself all the time. Sure, Blaine told him he was courageous, but he didn't have that confidence about everything he did.

"I'm sure you're going to get a part," Kurt said, hoping the nervous edge in his voice didn't come off as obvious. Blaine slid over next to him, a disapproving look on his face. Apparently it was obvious.

"You're amazing as well, Kurt. I mean, you really have a fantastic voice." Blaine's hand slid onto one shoulder and he gave him a supportive smile. Kurt couldn't help but tense up again. _Every time he touches me, it drives me crazy_. _God, that sounds wrong._

"Thanks." He didn't really know what to say. After all, what would he do if he didn't get a part? Or what if other people got a part and he didn't? He couldn't help but feel nervous. Blaine was a natural. He couldn't help but imagine things go wrong.

"C'mon Kurt, courage. You can do it." He beamed at him. "Look at you, you're a natural Angel. I mean, you'd be perfect for the role. You're being silly. If you don't get a role, then they're honestly missing out." Kurt swallowed as his hand went down his arm. All his instincts told him to lean over and kiss him. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Why did his voice have to continually come out sounding so squeaky? "It's just hard not to be nervous. I've wanted to be in a musical for years, and here's this perfect opportunity. If I don't get in, I don't know what I'm going to do." He shook and glanced down at the floor. If Blaine's hazel eyes didn't turn away from him soon, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. They just looked so wide and adorable.

"You sure you okay? You look kind of green…" Kurt edged away. The feel of Blaine's hand on his arm was driving him insane.

"Yeah, I just need a second. Nervous, I guess…" he lied through gritted teeth. Burying his head in his hands, he took a deep breath. At least today was the last day he'd have to worry about spending time like this with Blaine. A part of him ached at that thought.

Well, he was never mine to begin with.

KBKBKBK

Kurt sighed as the water washed down on him. He could feel his muscles relax and he placed a hand on the wall for support. His hand reached down to his cock and he shuddered. In his mind, it was already Blaine's calloused hand. _"Kurt, you're fantastic_," he heard the phantom voice whisper, and he mewled quietly.

"Fuck…" He tugged slowly, but surely, and he felt his body start to hum. He felt the warmth starting in the pit of his stomach. And he could picture Blaine leaning up against him, arms wrapped around him, curled around his cock. He could feel the bushy black hair brushing against his neck – the trail of kisses placed on his collar bone. Kurt moaned, thrusting into his own hands. In his mind they were rougher, untreated with lotion.

Shuddering, his thumb worked at the weeping tip, and he spread the precum. With one slightly slickened finger, he slid down, prodding at the tight ring of muscles. His finger slipped in to the knuckle, and he gasped. He took a moment before adding another one. _"So, wanton… You're like my little slut."_ Of course, the comments were uncharacteristic for Blaine, but Kurt had no time to critique his thoughts.

He moaned as his fingers reached that spot inside of himself. He lit up and let his fingers slide in and out in pace with his other hand. Kurt could barely stand, and in his mind, Blaine was the only thing supporting him. He clawed out, making a small scraping sound, and he let out another incomprehensible noise.

He felt himself freeze up for a moment before he came undone. Kurt let out a prolonged sigh as he milked himself dry. His hand slowed down on his **, and his fingers lay resting inside of him for a moment or two after he had finished. He pulled out, shuddering and putting his full weight on the wall. His legs felt like complete jelly.

It took a moment for everything to wash down. Kurt quickly rinsed himself with body wash before he turned off the shower. The room suddenly seemed quiet, and he reached over to grab his own towel from over the door. He wrapped it around himself and was about to get out of the shower where he heard a small cough. Kurt froze. There was another small cough, and then even more quietly, "Shit." Kurt peaked his head out, feeling his cheeks light up.

Who other than Blaine Anderson would be standing at the door of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around him? "Um, hi." Blaine looked equally as embarrassed. _Oh, God, did I say his name at some point?_Kurt could barely think. What if he had somehow let it slip how he felt when he wasn't thinking? He had thought the bathroom was empty.

Kurt's stare made Blaine's eyes drop to the ground, and he scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Well, then…"

"I should go," Kurt quickly said. Behind the fear, he couldn't help but feel something stir inside of him. Blaine certainly didn't look bad. He had defined muscles. Even if he was short, he looked – well, amazing.

As Kurt brushed pass him, Blaine spoke again. "I didn't mean to…" His head snapped back and he saw a bashful pair of hazel eyes looking at him. "I didn't know what to do. I was going to slip out, but I didn't want you to hear me." Kurt could've sworn he muttered under his breath, "Damn cough…"

"No, it's – it's fine. I shouldn't have… I mean, I really should go." Blaine nodded and started walking towards one of the showers. Kurt stared for a moment, watching the way the muscles in his back rippled with each step before reaching toward the door again.

"Good luck tomorrow," he heard Blaine squeak. A small smile formed on Kurt's lips. As awkward as they were, Blaine didn't seem like he hated him.

"To you too." He walked back to his room stuck between a state of paranoia and happiness. He couldn't really understand how Blaine made him feel so many things all at the same time. But then again, he didn't understand Blaine completely either. That boy was a mystery, and as crazy as it drove him, a part of him loved it.

KBKBKBK

Kurt scowled as Jeff's hand narrowly missed him. He was stuck in the back behind Nick and Jeff. Of course, Faith and Blaine were sitting up front, and Blaine was driving. His usual jealousy was toned down a bit since he was so nervous. The rehearsals were in an hour. A few people from Dalton had piled up into one car and they were all on their way towards the rehearsals. Blaine had turned on the radio and when _Bohemian Rhapsody_had come on, everyone began chanting along and swaying to the beat. It was enough to make Kurt feel slightly claustrophobic.

"C'mon Kurt, join in," he heard Blaine say from the front. He threw him a quick glance behind. Kurt was sure he remembered running into him at the showers last night, but Blaine wasn't even slightly awkward around him. He had given him his usual silly grin and bounced excitedly into the driver's seat. Somehow he assumed that that meant he didn't let Blaine's name slip yesterday. _Thank God for small miracles…_

As he saw Blaine throw him another glance, he began singing. He hoped he would at least get a small role. His head leaned back against the seat and he closed his eyes. He tried to drown out the noise even as he sang along, but he just felt nervous. At least Blaine would be by his side to sing along with him. A small smile formed on Kurt's face. Cheers erupted in the vehicle as _Bohemian Rhapsody_ came to an end. Then, the usual chatter quickly replaced the lack of song.

When the car finally slowed down, Kurt waited for everyone else to pile out before he finally went out. Blaine stood with his hand perched out. "M'lady..." Kurt blinked at him a few times and stared, and Blaine simply laughed. "Just trying to get in character. I mean, after all, I'm sure you'll get the role of Angel."

"You think you'll get Collins?" Kurt asked, trying not to show how happy that thought made him. Blaine simply shrugged though.

"The least we can do is give on hell of a good audition." He accepted Blaine's hand and got out of the car, biting nervously on his lower lip. "Aw, cheer up; I'm sure you'll do fine." Before Kurt could say anything in response, Faith came over, hooking her arm around his other side. Blaine's head turned to look at her and his hand slid from Kurt's. She nuzzled into his neck and Kurt felt a pang as Blaine laughed.

"You're going to do just as well," she said to him, placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"And from what I heard of your singing _Little Lamb_, I'm guessing the same goes for you." She smiled happily, and Kurt hung back as the two of them surpassed him.

A hand set on his shoulder as Jeff and Nick pranced over, and Kurt jumped. They followed Kurt's eyes to see Blaine and Faith, their fingers locked together. "I'm sorry," Jeff said.

"If it makes you feel any better, my love life is just as non-existent," Nick added. Somehow it didn't really help. They trudged over to the building and let the door fall shut behind them. Of course, now all they had to do was wait until their names were called. There were other people there that Kurt didn't recognize, although, no one from McKinley was in sight.

It didn't take long for that to change.

"I'm just saying that all of you should accept that I'm most likely going to be cast as Maureen." Kurt couldn't help but chuckle. Rachel was ever-dominating and self-assured. He got up, flinging himself at Mercedes.

"Oh, wow…" She barely had time to brace herself before Kurt's arms were wrapped around her. Kurt had never really been much of a hugging kind of person, at least not really, yet he just felt like he needed someone. When they finally pulled back, Mercedes raised an eyebrow, and her eyes fell over to Blaine. Kurt could see them out of his peripherals. Though they were all looking at him, Faith and Blaine remained linked at the hands. Mercedes' mouth formed a little 'o' and she nodded in understanding.

"I've missed you guys so much." He barely had time to react before Santana walked into the room. Somehow that surprised him. He never pinned her to be the musical theatre type. Her voice certainly was fine, but she always seemed to be in it as a spy. But there couldn't be an ulterior motive when it came to musicals, could there?

"What are you looking at?" Apparently, she had noticed him staring.

"Um, nothing." Once again he failed at being convincing.

"Is there something you wanted to say? Maybe you should say it to my face. I'm listening." She bristled up, and Kurt backed down, shaking his head. "I thought not." Strutting over, she sat down in a seat and pulled out a nail file. Rachel shook her head.

"So, how have you been Kurt?" she asked, flattening the creases in her skirt. Before Kurt could respond, a door opened and some lady stuck her head out.

"Blaine Anderson?" Blaine got up, and Kurt swiveled around to face him. He looked so scared and shy suddenly.

"Um, I was actually going to perform a song with Kurt." The lady paused and pulled out a clipboard. Kurt felt a slight smirk graze his lips as Mercedes nudged him.

"Details later, yeah?" she whispered quietly enough that only Kurt could hear. He gave a terse nod.

"Last name please?" the lady asked.

"Hummel," Kurt finally said, moving forward. _I can do this._The lady held the door open for both of them, and they went inside. It was funny how their roles were suddenly reversed. Even through Blaine's strut and smile, Kurt could tell he was nervous.

"You'll do fine," he whispered, letting his hand brush lightly against Blaine's. Blaine paused and looked at him with wide, hazel eyes.

"You're fantastic, you know?" he whispered back, a more relaxed smile on his face. Kurt felt his cheeks heat up and they walked up onto the stage. A balding man most likely in his forties sat propped back into a chair. He was placed in front of a table that was scattered with papers, most their own personal ones they had to send in.

"Alright, I'm Bill. Two of you? I thought this was Mr. Anderson…" He rubbed his temples and leaned forward.

"We're doing a duet, sir," Blaine said in a loud, steady voice. He looked over a Kurt, suddenly braver than he had been moments ago.

"Alright, then. Which song?"

"_I'll Cover You_." Bill raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"You ready?" Blaine asked.

He began walking down stage and Blaine followed, smiling. His voice shook for a moment, but then he met the hazel eyes and he could hear Blaine's advice echoing in his head. _'Just pretend you're singing to me…'_That much Kurt could do.

"Just pay me back with one thousand kisses…" Kurt spun around and a laugh made its way through Blaine's words.

"But sweet kisses I've got to spare…" He felt Blaine's hand reach down to his, and he leaned forward, nuzzling into his chest as he felt carnations blossom across his face. They continued running down stage, laughing for a moment as they knocked together.

"A new lease you are my love..." Their voices blended together perfectly, Kurt couldn't help but think. His stomach flipped as Blaine's arms slid to his waist and spun wrapped around him. God, they fit so nicely. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment before they continued singing.

"You'll be my king…" Kurt grabbed an imaginary coat off of an imaginary rack and pretended to place it on Blaine's shoulders. Blaine played along, acting as if he was shrugging it on before laughing through the next few lines. It sounded so natural. Kurt felt his face flush and they spun around, running down to the other side of the stage. He gained on Blaine, but felt two hands firmly grab him around his waist and pull him back. He turned so that he was facing Blaine, pressed against him fully, and the hazel eyes stared unblinkingly at him.

"Oh, lover, I'll cover you!" Blaine leaned forward, his lips close enough that Kurt could smell the mint on his breath. Kurt's eyes fluttered shut. Was this it? He leaned forward and their noses brushed. He was so close.

And then nothing. Blaine's hands unraveled from around him, and he pulled back, panting. For a moment Kurt couldn't breathe. Every part of him had to strain not to betray the hurt and the humiliation. Of course Blaine would never kiss him. It was all part of the acting.

"Interesting," Bill. "Are you two…? Not that I would have a problem with that." Blaine's laugh hurt Kurt even more. But of course it was nothing but a joke to him. Kurt shuddered.

"No, Kurt's gay, but I have a girlfriend. We just thought that our voices would fit well with the song." Bill nodded and Kurt did his best to look normal.

"Alright, I'll want you two to read a few of the lines after Benny leaves. It's the scene with _You'll See_." The lady who had ushered them in came over and handed them scripts. "You can read as Roger, Mr. Anderson, and you will read as Angel, Mr. Hummel. I can do Mark and Collins since they don't have much lines in the scene. I know some of the lines are supposed to be sung, but just read them."

Kurt looked down at his paper.

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><p><strong>Was it Klaine-tastic? Klaine-erific? Klisses for reviews...<strong>

**Also: Which Glee characters are your favorite besides Kurt and Blaine? :D**


	7. Chapter Six

**Author's Note**: I want to hug each and every one of you for your reviews. Also, a huge shout-out to tokyogirl0093 and Jocelyne. The first has disabled PM options and the second has no username. But both of your reviews were super-sweet, and I loved them a lot.

Also, if you want, you can follow me on my Tumblr (**iamsiriuslyriddikulus**). I post previews for the next chapter up there before I update as well as notices on my schedule and when I can update. Just a warning: I spam a lot of other stuff too...

One last thing - I just posted a Klaine oneshot called Kurt's Secret. It's smutty and has light bondage. Very different from this, haha... Feel free to check it out.

Chapter Six

Kurt had gotten a chance to talk to Mercedes after the auditions. She had mentioned that Mr. Schue had convinced all of New Directions to try out with some sort of pep talk. He said that even if they didn't all get in, they could root for each other – or, well, something along those lines. He had gotten a chance to see Brittany and Matt as he was leaving, as well as Quinn. Her stomach was now starting to show.

But what Mercedes had been most eager to talk about was Blaine. Kurt tried to explain how he got himself somehow lost in the meaning of the song. It was hard not to be bitter. He could hear Blaine's voice so nonchalantly saying, "No, Kurt's gay, but I have a girlfriend." But it had felt so real while they were singing on stage. The way Blaine even looked at him and had held onto him made him lose his breath. _Too bad I can't do that to him_… Mercedes had hugged him, trying to help him, but there was only so much she could say.

And then there had been the callbacks. The callbacks had been slightly hectic. What made matters worse was that Kurt felt fairly sure that he wasn't going to get a part. Bill had most people read more than one part, but he had just read Angel's the entire time. And Blaine had rotated between Mark and Roger mostly. He had read a few of Collins' lines as well, but it didn't seem likely that he was going to be cast as the character.

There had been plenty of people he hadn't really known at the callbacks either. One of the people who mainly read Collins' role was a shy kid with wavy brown hair. He had seemed nice enough, and by the end of the callbacks, he was even attempting to have a slight conversation with Kurt, but he wasn't Blaine. Blaine who had held onto him while they had sung and who had leaned towards him, almost close enough to kiss. Blaine who Kurt couldn't stop thinking about…

It was more than enough to drive him crazy.

And the cast list was being revealed tomorrow. All he wanted to do was curl up and cry. He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle himself when he didn't get a role and Blaine did. And what about Faith? Her voice was amazing, as Kurt recently discovered. And she could alternate between heavenly and rough. Kurt wasn't completely sure, but he wouldn't be surprised if she had gotten either Joanne or Mimi's role.

There was a small knock at the door and Kurt managed to mutter a groggy, "Come in." Richard stepped inside, looking at him and shaking his head.

"Hey. You look… sick," Richard commented. Kurt groaned.

"I don't think I'm going to get a part in the musical."

"Oh, um… _RENT_, wasn't it?" Kurt nodded. "I'm sure you'll be fine." He dismissed Kurt's fears with a wave of his hand as if they were silly.

"But what if I'm not? What if Blaine and Nick and Jeff all get parts and I'm stuck here while they rehearse. And – and it'll just… suck," he finished ineloquently.

"Well, yeah, it won't be fun, but from what I heard from Blaine, you did an amazing job." He gave Kurt an odd sort of look, his lips pursed. But the look fled before Kurt had time to try to figure out what it meant. And as he smiled, Richard's words hit him.

"Wait, Blaine thought I did a good job?" Kurt asked, trying to keep his voice as casual sounding as possible. But internally, he was waving about. Blaine had talked about their audition to other people, and he had told them that he had done an amazing job.

"Yeah, he said that he felt like he almost wasn't acting when he sang the song. He said that you guys not only got the melody down but the emotions as well. I dunno; I haven't seen him this cocky – or, well, confident about something he's sung in a while." Kurt had trouble keeping the goofy grin off of his face. Blaine had been impressed by his singing. He had bragged about it. It was impossible to keep from doing a little dance.

"Oh, did he? Well, that was really nice of him." It was more than nice. "So, I guess my chances aren't completely small."

"He has a good gauge on these kinds of things. But I don't want you to get too excited and not get the role." Richard shook his head and lay back on his own bed, his clothes wrinkling up. "So, how's life, Kurt?" It was nice finally getting to talk to Richard. They exchanged a few words here and there, but for a while he had been afraid that he had somehow been rubbing the Warbler the wrong way. After all, if they shared a room, they might as well talk. He wasn't expecting a life-long friendship, just some kind of one.

"I dunno. Pretty good, I guess, if I get the role, then excellent. I still miss my friends though."

"You left a lot behind to come here, didn't you?" Kurt shrugged, though the bitter feelings still surged up.

"It wasn't really my choice." His voice was clipped.

"Look, I'm sorry about how we met, when I was talking to Bean and I said those things about rooming with you." It took a moment before he even remembered what Richard was talking about.

"Oh, that. Yeah, it's no problem, I suppose."

"I'd just never shared my room, and it was just… I don't know. I wasn't really throwing up the welcome banners." Shrugging his shoulders, Kurt sat up, his fingers going to his hair to fix it.

"I mean, I guess I can understand." He paused for a moment before adding. "It's kind of strange that we never really got to know each other." Richard laughed.

"Hello, my name's Richard," he began jokingly, and Kurt snorted.

"Kurt. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." For some odd reason, before they could help themselves, both of them were laughing, their sides hurting as they gulped for breath.

KBKBKBK

"What if I don't get in?" Kurt said as they walked toward the building. The list was up. Oh, God, the list was up. What if he didn't make it? He brushed his palms on his pants, wincing slightly. No one replied to his question. Everyone looked incredibly nervous. As they were walking over, Kurt saw Mercedes, slouched over in a chair. From the look on her face, he was guessing she didn't get a part. There was a twinge in his heart, but his feet kept on moving. He'd give her a hug after he looked at the list; he wasn't sure whether he could wait any longer.

The list was sitting up against the wall. That paper practically held his fate. Santana looked smug. And there was Rachel, jumping up and down. People were so easy to read. But all he wanted to know was whether he had gotten the role… He just had to look at it. He felt Blaine and Jeff press against him on either side as they craned in.

Cast List

Major Characters

Mimi … Faith Adams

Roger … Blaine Anderson

Mark … Ryan Jacobs

Maureen … Rachel Berry

Angel … Kurt Hummel

Tom … William Kelly

Joanne … Santana Lopez

Benny … Jeff Sterling

There was a list of minor characters underneath, but Kurt couldn't focus long enough to read them. He had gotten in. And better yet, he had gotten Angel. Blaine wasn't Collins, but even that wasn't enough to crush his mood. At least they'd be working together somewhere outside of school. On _RENT_ of all things…

"Oh my God," Blaine finally said, trembling. He looked absolutely giddy and adorable. His eyes were wide and almost manically happy. He reached out, wrapping his arms around Faith and then letting go. And then, he turned around, his arms wrapped around Kurt. The hug was brief, but for a moment Blaine was pressed against him, his head resting against Kurt's neck. Even after Blaine had let go, Kurt stood stiffly for a moment or two more.

"Nick, I'm really sorry." Jeff's voice broke through and he almost felt guilty for being so happy. Blaine and Faith looked just as unsure as to how they should act.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you guys all got parts…" Still, from his voice it was obvious that he was disappointed.

"I thought you were fantastic," Faith said, giving him a small, sad smile.

"Thanks. I guess they didn't. I – I don't mean to be so bitter. You guys should be happy."

Jeff paused for a moment before pulling him into a hug. "C'mon, have at it." Nick paused for a moment before he leaned his head into Jeff's shoulder and hugging back. For a moment he looked utterly devastated, but as Jeff pulled back giving him one of his goofy expressions, a small smile crept on Nick's face.

"You're ridiculous," Nick said. And though his voice wasn't as chipper as it usually might be, Kurt felt himself relax. He wondered whether Blaine would have done the same to him had he not gotten a role. Of course, it didn't matter at this point. He was going to play Angel and nothing else seemed like it mattered. Still, the whole situation had sobered him up enough to let him go talk to Mercedes.

"Hey." She looked up at him, her frustration written on her face.

"But I thought I did well. Understudy…" She shook her head. "And the fact that Santana of all people got the actual part." She snorted bitterly, and Kurt sat down next to her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"You did do well. Hey, maybe Santana will miraculously be sick? I'm sure there's a way to get it arranged," Kurt joked, his semi-smile fading from his lips as Mercedes didn't even respond. "You deserved the role."

"Apparently not."

"Please don't beat yourself up because of this." Kurt leaned forward, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm really sorry." She paused for a moment before hugging him back.

"I know I shouldn't be this upset about it. I just really thought I had it." Kurt nodded. He would have reacted the same exact way had he not gotten the part. "Oh, and Kurt?"

"Hm?"

"Congratulations." If only she didn't look so morose…

"Oh, Mercedes!" Kurt flung himself at her again, his arms wrapping tightly around her. He wasn't really a hugging sort of person, but somehow this felt like an exception. He couldn't stand seeing her so sad. And she really did deserve the role over Santana. When he let go, Mercedes was shaking her head, a small trace of a smile on her face.

Before they could discuss any further though, there was a tap on his shoulder. "Um, hello. I saw that you got Angel's part and I wanted to tell you congrats." It was the boy who had practiced Collins' part at the callbacks. If only he could remember his name… Kurt's mouth opened and closed as he tried to decide what to say. "I guess I failed to make any sort of impression on you. I'm William."

"Sorry, I'm not good with names," Kurt mumbled, feeling guilty. Perhaps William wouldn't know his name either, and he could feel better.

"Kurt, right?" Or not. Kurt nodded. "I got Collins. I figured since – um – maybe we should try to - um – hang out or something outside of practice." He blushed and looked down at the ground as if expecting Kurt to turn him down. William seemed rather nice, though the fact that he wanted to befriend Kurt all of a sudden surprised him.

"That sounds like a good idea." William stared expectantly at him. Apparently he was waiting for a day. "Oh, um, Friday, maybe? Since, you know, the first rehearsals are Saturday. We could get to know each other or something." A smile lit up his face. If Blaine weren't around to outshine him, Kurt might even call William cute. It certainly was adorable how shy he was in any case. Biting his lip, William nodded in confirmation.

"Cool. I'm – um – I'll see you then. Oh, wait, at what time? Where?"

"Let me give you my phone number. That might be easier." A bit of his hair fell into his eyes, but he peered back excitedly through them at Kurt. It only took a few more seconds, and then William was leaving without even a goodbye.

"Someone likes you," Mercedes chanted; her previous disposition was clearly gone. But those words jarred him out of some trance. They couldn't possibly be true, could they? The way William had been looking at him could have been interpreted as a crush-y sort of look, he supposed. But maybe he was reading too deeply into it.

"No…" It was hard to believe that anyone could like him, let alone a guy. And as nice as that would be, it still wasn't Blaine – what did it matter? Besides, chances of William being gay were slim, weren't they? But he had been biting his lip, and as oddly adorable he had been, the encounter had been slightly odd.

"Oh, hell to the yes! And finally it's someone who roots for the same team. You might have a chance. What if you two started dating?" Kurt couldn't help but laugh, shushing her even though she was already whispering.

"I think you're jumping the gun. We've talked for like three minutes. And next to Blaine –"

"Who has a girlfriend…" Biting his lower lip, Kurt thought over what Mercedes was saying. Still, it was absolutely ridiculous to jump to conclusions.

KBKBKBK

They were going to meet up at the park. Kurt wasn't sure if he had enough money to go to the Lima Bean with every single person he talked to. And if the choice was between going out with Blaine or going out with William, he'd much rather chose Blaine. But William had seemed fine with the idea of simply walking around and talking for an hour or two.

Kurt sat by the benches and waited, staring at his shoes from time to time. He had only been there for a few minutes when he heard a voice behind him, "I approve of your jacket. Marc Jacobs, right?" Kurt's head swiveled up to see William leaning on the back of the bench, smiling at him. He nodded, surprised. No one really knew about fashion here.

"Yeah. His style is eloquent yet fitting for casual meet-ups like this," Kurt said, his brow furrowing. So, maybe he was gay. But he didn't want to be quick to judge. Perhaps he was just interested in fashion…

"I much prefer Michael Kors." Of course, he wasn't wearing anything that would suggest he had a sense for fashion like that. But it wasn't like his outfit was unappealing. He was wearing a fairly nice grey jacket and a matching beanie. And while Kurt didn't like wearing jeans, he couldn't deny that this kid could pull them off.

"I can't really afford them," William explained.

"What?"

"You were giving me a funny look. I guess I'm not really wearing any designer clothes, but I was just saying that I can't really afford them." He hadn't meant to be so obvious about the way he was looking at him. Kurt nodded and William slid down next to him in the bench. For a moment it was simply quiet. He didn't even know this guy. What was he doing here?

"So," Kurt said, his voice tight.

"So… Tell me about yourself."

"Um, I'm Kurt Hummel. I'm sixteen. I –"

"No," William said, with a small laugh. "If I'm going to work with you for the next few months, I want to know something about you. I want to be friends. After all, I don't want to kiss a stranger." Something about the way he said it made Kurt blush. His eyes darted down to the bench and he bit on his lower lip.

Well, that was rather… direct. Was William trying to come on to him? While the thought was nice, Kurt wasn't sure how he felt about it all. He didn't know anything about this guy other than his name, and not even his full name at that.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound suggestive or anything," William quickly corrected himself, and Kurt looked up to see him shaking his head and pushing back on the bench. William's right hand scratched nervously at the arm rest on his side of the bench.

"No, it's just – I'm not used to people acting like this around me. I guess Dalton's different, but even there it took a while before any of the Warblers said much to me outside class." William nodded, though Kurt was sure he didn't understand.

"Is it because you're gay?" William asked in a small voice. Kurt bristled.

"Excuse me?" He didn't talk to just anyone about this, especially not some random stranger.

"No, no, don't take it like that." William was wringing his hands now, and his hand ran to his hair, knocking his beanie into his lap. "It's just I'm gay too, and people kind of judge me because of it."

"So, _you're_ just assuming I'm gay?" Well, it was true, but the fact that William had just taken one good look at him and deemed him it... Well… it made Kurt uneasy. They hadn't even exchanged more than a few words.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" William's cheeks were pink and he looked as if he was about to cry. Seeing that expression made Kurt regret being harsh. He hadn't meant to scare William. His heart melted a bit, and he went to reach out. His hand stopped half-way to William on the bench, though. As much as he felt bad for scaring him, he didn't know him. Even placing his hand on top of William's seemed far too intimate.

"No, no, I shouldn't have yelled… I am gay." William looked up at him, his eyes still wide and frightened. Now confusion was just added to the picture. "It just felt like you judged me by my looks. I suppose the clothes really made it obvious, but it's just – I don't know. It rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't mean to start off like this, though."

"Then, you're not angry?" William smiled slightly, and Kurt couldn't help but join in.

"Not at all. This is just slightly weird."

"How so?"

"Well, it's a rather personal conversation for someone I've never talked to before." Kurt paused before adding, "You're actually the first openly gay person I've met, really."

"Same here. People here just aren't really… accepting about it."

"Tell me about it."

And just like that, the tension between them disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think about the cast list? About William?<strong>

**What was the first episode of Glee that you watched and what got you hooked?**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Author's Note**: Oh my Rowling, it has been ages since I've updated. I'm sorry, guys! I was busy travelling around Florida (still am), and I didn't have any internet connection. I did go to the Wizarding World, though, so that was absolutely _amazing_.

In any case, I'm sure all of you heard that New York legalized gay marriage, which is fantastic! I'm glad people are taking a step in the right direction. There should totally be a _Glee_ spin-off where Blaine and Kurt go to college in New York and get married. Yup.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. There's a bit of drama in it, so that should be exciting. Also: a huge thank you to my beta, Percival Jones. You are lovely.

Chapter Seven

The first rehearsal was planned for Saturday. They had agreed to take turns driving over to the musicals for practices. It seemed like the general schedule was four days a week plus one to be announced. Of course, Dalton schooldays finished earlier than some other schools, so they'd even have thirty minutes before they'd have to leave to go to rehearsals. At least that…

"So, how's this William guy?" Blaine and Kurt sat outside on a bench. Both of them needed a break from studying. Kurt looked over at the sky, which was smeared with shades of pink and purple as the sun set.

"He seems pretty nice. We couldn't talk for more than an hour, but we actually figured out that we have some things in common."

"Oh?" There was something about the way he said it. Blaine's voice sounded tight – almost annoyed. But why would he be?

"Blaine, you alright?" Blaine looked over at him, and the small scowl melted off of his face.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just… distracted, I suppose."

"First rehearsals tomorrow – it's a big day for all of us."

"Uh-huh, so what did you and William talk about?" Why was Blaine acting so odd? He seemed so fixated on William, and the way he was asking the questions almost made Kurt feel uncomfortable. It was all rather uncharacteristic of Blaine.

"I mean, he was also bullied at school because he's gay. We kind of talked about that for a bit. And he's interested in fashion, so we got off on a tangent or two about that. I dunno. But he seems to be a great guy." Blaine nodded.

"Well, that's exciting at least that you're already making friends with other people in the cast." He still sounded slightly irritated.

"I'm sure you'll make friends with them quickly. And at least you and Faith are Roger and Mimi. I mean, that has to be exciting, right?" At that, Blaine snorted, and Kurt jumped at the sound. He stared in bewilderment as Blaine pulled his legs to his chest and glared at the floor. "Blaine? Is everything alright?"

"No." Well, at least he didn't try to blame it on distractions this time.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to unload on you. I – You don't deserve that." Of course he'd say something like that. Kurt smiled sympathetically and scooted closer to Blaine.

"You wouldn't be bothering me, honestly. After all, you've heard me complain about life at McKinley and –"

"I don't want to talk about it." Oh, so that was it. The smile slid off of his face and Kurt looked down at his shoes. Why would Blaine want to trust him?

"Oh, I mean, it is your life. I didn't meant to intrude or pry or anything." He felt stupid and frustrated.

"No, really, this has nothing to do with you. God, this isn't how I imagined hanging out with you. I wanted to get my mind off of this crap." If he had wanted to get his mind off of it, then he shouldn't have acted like he did. Although, maybe he couldn't help himself. Kurt's head hurt and mostly he wanted to get away from Blaine.

"Then what do you want, Blaine? You act like you want me to ask what's wrong and then when I ask it, you tell me that you don't want to talk about it." His fingers flexed as he let out a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Blaine's voice cracked, and Kurt looked up. Blaine was blinking rapidly, tears forming in his eyes. He swallowed thickly, unsure what to do and how to react.

"Blaine…"

"I can't tell you. You'd hate me."

"It can't be that bad." Blaine let out a bitter laugh.

"You'd lose a lot of respect for me then." Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't something trivial. Although, he wasn't sure why Blaine thought he'd judge him that much. But Blaine looked like he was going to break down, like he needed some sign of comfort. Kurt reached out with his hand, laying on top of Blaine's.

"Faith and I were arguing about something," Blaine said after a pause. "And I think she's right." Kurt wasn't sure how to respond to that. It seemed pretty straightforward then.

"Well, then shouldn't you just listen to her?"

"It's not that simple. I want to, but I can't." Kurt moved away his hand and moved it to his pants, smoothing out the creases.

"I don't know what to tell you if I don't even know what it's about." Blaine was asking for his help but refusing to tell him anything.

"I – I can't, Kurt." Was that all he was going to say? Kurt threw his hands up.

"Then I can't help you." But then he looked over to see Blaine crying. His hands were curled up into tight fists and he was leaning over, his shoulders shaking. His cheeks were wet and he was biting on his lower lip, desperately trying to keep in any sound. Kurt sat staring at him in shock for a moment or two.

"Can you just hug me and tell me it'll all be alright or something?" The request sounded somewhat childish and had it been anyone else, Kurt would have said no. But this was Blaine, and as he looked at him, watching fat tears slide down his face, he couldn't find it in him to say no.

Kurt reached, pulling Blaine against him. He felt the moisture as Blaine's face pressed against his neck, but he simply squeezed more tightly. One hand slipped down from his back and went to Blaine's. Blaine's fingers reached out, entwining with his, and Kurt could feel the calluses on Blaine's hand. Blaine nuzzled further against him, and though the position was awkward and uncomfortable as they sat there, Kurt held it. "It's going to be alright," he finally whispered, biting back tears of his own as his heart ached. "It's going to be alright."

KBKBKBK

Kurt fiddled with the button on his coat. It was the first rehearsal. It all felt so surreal, standing on stage with the script in hand. He was going to play Angel in _RENT_. He was going to be in a musical. He was sure he was going to wake up any second to find out that none of this had ever happened.

There was a guy who looked unfamiliar standing alone, arms crossed over his chest and a small sneer on his face. He was wearing some sort of horrid green-gray sweater vest, and his blond hair was slicked back. Well, Kurt knew everyone in the main cast except for whoever played Mark and he'd already tried talking to a few of the minor characters. Kurt had actually been surprised that Tina had gotten a role. Of course, she was just one of the voicemails, but still.

Kurt walked over to the boy, feeling some sort of necessity to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Kurt." The boy looked at him kind of sourly.

"Ryan Jacobs." Kurt nodded; the name was familiar from the cast list.

"Mark?"

"Yes." The boy paused before adding, "And you?" Kurt didn't like the way he looked at him, as if Ryan felt like he was inferior.

"Angel."

"Oh, shame." What did he mean by that?

"Shame?"

"Oh, I mean, Angel almost could be considered a minor character. I mean, everyone's minor compared to Mark. He's basically like the lead role." Kurt tried to avoid the urge to just walk away and leave Ryan by himself again. No wonder anyone wasn't talking to him.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, Angel dies in the second act. He has a brief moment of glory, but Mark's almost in every scene. He's recording it all, you see. And he's friends with Collins, whom Angel is dat –"

"Yeah, I've seen _RENT_ multiple times. I know how it goes." It was impossible for Kurt to keep some level of disgust and annoyance out of his voice. Who did this guy think he was? Ryan was treating him like he was some sort of idiot.

"But you didn't seem to understand why I thought Mark was the main character." A part of him just wanted to slap this guy. He really was full of himself, wasn't he?

"I just think that other people are just as crucial to the story line as Mark," Kurt choked out through gritted teeth.

"Funny. Say, which high school are you from?" Kurt almost said McKinley.

"Dalton." He paused before grudgingly adding, "You?"

"Carmel. I'm sure you've heard of Vocal Adrenaline. I'm surprised Jesse didn't join in try out. Though he's lead vocals, so I suppose he's too busy… He's going to lead us to our fourth year nationals for sure. We're simply bound to win."

"Hmm…" Kurt could barely keep himself from yelling at Ryan and storming away. _I'm not going to start off on the wrong foot_, he told himself. This boy was more obnoxious than anyone he'd ever met. How anyone's ego could be this inflated was beyond Kurt. "Well, I'm going to go talk to my friend now. Nice meeting you." _About as nice as your horrid outfit_…

"I suppose it was nice." Kurt walked away, fuming. The thought of having to spend weeks with him rehearsing _RENT_ was not exactly a nice one.

"Kurt!" Kurt turned to see Rachel, smiling and waving at him. By comparison, Rachel as modest as it got. Kurt straightened himself and walked over to her. "This is all rather exciting, isn't it?"

"Other than that Ryan guy, yes," Kurt replied, throwing a glance at Ryan. He was standing by himself again, looking out over everyone – surely mentally judging them.

"He told me that I was sweet and he would enjoy beating us at Regionals. I wasn't sure whether to take it as a compliment or not, but now I'm simply determined to beat them when we get there." She scowled for a moment before shaking her head and changing subject back to _RENT_. "I never got a chance to congratulate you."

"On what?" His brow furrowed.

"Getting the part. You'll make a fantastic Angel. I mean, both of you are divas to a certain extent. I don't know. I think you'll be fantastic." Kurt couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Rachel. You'll be a great Maureen as well."

"Thanks. It'll be the beginning of a long musical career, I'm hoping. And it is one of my personal favorites. Although, I'm not too sure how it'll work with Santana as Joanne. Joanne is so sweet, and Santana is – well –" As if on cue, Santana being shrieking.

"Who are you calling _decent_?" Santana was facing a rather unperturbed-looking Ryan, looking as if she was about to attack him.

"I should stop her," Rachel said, looking irked. "I'll talk to you later, Kurt." With that, she left. Kurt looked over to see William walking over to him.

"Quite a scene," he said, motioning to Santana, who was currently facing Rachel and pushing her backwards.

"Yeah, it is." Kurt was glad that William had been able to provide him some sort of excuse to keep from going over there and trying to stop Santana.

"I can't believe this is actually happening. Pinch me. Actually, don't. I have a low pain tolerance," William rambled, looking around at the groups of people. Kurt laughed and nodded. At least he wasn't the only one. "Although, I feel kind out of place."

"Oh?"

"I only really know Marissa. She's one of the minor characters, and I don't really know her too well anyway." Well, that was strange. Kurt side-glanced as Santana walked over to the other side of the stage, rolling her eyes. Still, his eyes moved back to William and he continued their conversation.

"Did no one from your glee club try out?"

"Nah, Gateway doesn't have a glee club. And I don't think that many people knew about it." Before they could continue talking, Bill came out, clapping his hands and trying to get their attention.

"Alright, we have a lot to do, so best get on it. We're going to read through the entire script and sing through the songs. Just ignore the stage directions. It might be slightly weird for some of you at first, but, trust me, after the first half hour, that'll all drop away." He smiled at them all.

"Now, I'm going to assume that all of you have seen _RENT_. Fess up now if you haven't. It'd be worst if we got to your song and you failed," Bill said. No one said anything. "Good! You kids actually did your homework." He looked rather pleased. "Ryan, you're going to start us off, setting the scene, and we'll be off."

KBKBKBK

All in all, Kurt had thought it had gone over well. He came home utterly exhausted and had simply collapsed on the couch, but he was happy. Bill didn't stop them more than a few times to make a handful of comments, but he let them go through the play, surveying them. He said he wanted to get a feel for how they interacted and what he was going to need to work on.

_I'll Cover You_ had gone over quite well, Kurt thought. Of course, it wasn't nearly as amazing as it had been with Blaine, but maybe when William and he started to move around, they'd find some sort of spark. At least he hoped so. Their singing had been good, but it was lacking the power of those emotions that Angel and Collins had felt. Then again, he didn't like William the way he liked Blaine.

But overall it had been a happy experience. Ryan had caused a problem or two, sometimes trying to overpower everyone else, something Bill had persistently reminded him not to do. "You're not the star of the show. Your voices need to all work together," Bill had said. Kurt couldn't help but smirk even remembering the horrified expression Ryan had made.

Kurt lay in bed, snuggled up against his comforter. Tomorrow he was going to try to see William again. It was nice that they were already developing some sort of friendship. Even if William was a bit socially awkward, he was honestly just trying to get to know him. And at least Kurt knew he was going to have some sort of connection to the person who played Collins. That would have been horrible if they didn't talk outside of rehearsals. How was he supposed to act love with a person he didn't know?

But then again, Blaine hadn't seemed too happy with it. Though he had been distracted thinking about – well, whatever he and Faith had argued about. Blaine had acted like nothing unusual had happened in their conversation, and Kurt hadn't wanted to bring up that conversation again. After they had hugged, Blaine had thanked him and practically ran off. Kurt had gone back to his dorm room – thankfully, unoccupied by Richard – and simply lay on his bed, trying not to cry.

It hurt even now thinking about it. Blaine wasn't a bad person – of course not – but Kurt wasn't sure whether he could take it. It had felt almost intimate holding hands and hugging him. Hell, not even almost. It had been intimate. They had just sat there like that for a full minute, pressed against each other, Blaine crying into his shoulder. All Kurt had wanted to do was make the pain go away, but he wasn't even able to do that. Blaine had run away from him continuing to cry.

And at least if he would have apologized and said something like, "I wasn't rational," Kurt might have been able to brush it off. But Blaine had simply given him that puppy smile and waved at him the next day as if he hadn't cried in his arms or fallen apart in front of him. It was as if nothing had happened. There wasn't even a thank you.

_I'm going to bring it up_. Kurt wanted to. He really did, and he kept on telling himself that, but he just couldn't. What if Blaine got angry at him? Or what if he broke down again? Kurt was even beginning to doubt that it had happened at all. If the feel of Blaine pressed against him wasn't so incredibly vivid in his memory, he would have been sure it was all some strange dream.

But he had spent the last few nights agonizing over that. "I'm going to be happy," Kurt muttered aloud, trying to think about _RENT_ again. True, there was no use in replaying that scene over and over again in his mind, trying to rework it so somehow Blaine left happy. Not like he could help it…

_RENT _– he simply had to think about _RENT_. He was going to play Angel. The thought still brought a thrill through him. Kurt could even picture the audience brought to tears as the reprise of _I'll Cover You_ played. It was impossible not to smile. Sure, it wasn't like it was a well-known theatre, but it was still a beginning.

KBKBKBK

Kurt dragged his feet down the hall, yawning. He had been reading over his lines obsessively. His plan was to memorize them as soon as possible. William had agreed and gone out with him and practice, but after a while they had gotten distracted. And tomorrow he'd be out late with rehearsals again. Kurt desperately needed his beauty sleep.

Pausing outside of the door, he heard some girl's voice coming out from the room. "You don't understand." Kurt froze, his hand hovering above the door handle. That was Faith.

"What don't I understand? I love you and you love me. Screw Blaine."

"I can't do that to him. He needs me. He'd die if I abandoned him, Rich." Kurt heard someone snort, probably Richard.

"So, this is just going to stay 'our little secret' still, huh?"

"Please don't be angry. You know that I really do care about you, right?" There was a pause, where Kurt heard someone fall back against the bed, laughter, and then kissing sounds. Faith was cheating on Blaine. _Oh my God_. Kurt's head felt like it was spinning. What was he going to do? What was he going to tell Blaine? This had to have been what they were arguing about. _I'll bet Faith convinced him she wasn't cheating_.

As soon as he heard the bed creak – hopefully they were moving apart – Kurt knocked on the door.

"Shit, do you think he –" Kurt heard Richard muttered. But then Faith coughed and Richard added, "Come in." Kurt came in to see Faith sitting on his bed and Richard sitting on his own. They were scooted as far apart as possible, feigning innocence.

Putting on his best fake smile, Kurt asked, "So, what brings you here, Faith?" She gave a small, nervous laugh.

"Richard and I are actually pretty good friends. We stretch back way before Dalton." _Yeah, does the whole cheating thing stretch back too?_ But Kurt simply continued smiling and nodded.

"Cool." How was he going to tell Blaine? _Was_ he going to tell Blaine? A knot formed in Kurt's throat as he wondered what the hell he should do.

* * *

><p><strong>GASP. Thoughts? Concerns?<strong>

**So, how many of you are Starkid fans? ;)**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Author's Note**: My goodness, you guys, why are you all so nice to me? I don't deserve this.

So, everyone wants to see what will happen with Faith's cheating. I'll just let you at it.

Chapter Eight

_I'm going to tell Blaine. I have to tell him._

Kurt was going to see Blaine again today. The fourth rehearsal was today, and he was going to meet up with Blaine and Jeff beforehand. He'd just have to say it outright. Just say, 'Faith is cheating on you with Richard.' It would be easy, right? Still, he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. Blaine cared about Faith, and Kurt didn't want to crush Blaine by telling him that Faith was cheating on him. Then again, he couldn't pretend that it had never happened, or – at least – that he had never found out.

Kurt walked downstairs only to find Faith sitting next to Blaine, cuddling up against him. How could she act like nothing was wrong – as if she cared? Bristling up, Kurt walked over to them, giving Faith a cool nod. Why did she have to be here?

"Faith couldn't get a ride, so I picked her up." Blaine kissed her cheek and smiled. "She was telling me how she was hanging out with Richard." Faith's eyes moved over to Kurt, and she looked legitimately afraid. Now was his chance, wasn't it? Then why wasn't his mouth working?

"Oh?" Kurt managed to squeak out. _So much for that courage Blaine kept on saying I had_…

"They've been friends since kindergarten. Isn't that crazy?" _Friends, right_ _– that's what they're calling it_. Kurt simply nodded. He couldn't tell Blaine, not in front of Faith and not like this.

"Hey you guys! Who's ready for some crazy _RENT_ action?" Jeff said, bouncing up next to them. His hair flopped in front of his eyes and he blew it out of the way, laughing. Though there was an uncomfortable tug at his heart as he finally resigned to not saying anything, he couldn't help but laugh along. Jeff was ridiculous.

"I'm more than ready. It's going to be totally awesome," Blaine said, grinning.

"I agree," Faith giggled.

"Kurt?" Jeff asked, swiveling his head and looking at him expectantly.

"It's going to be fun alright," Kurt replied, shaking his head and smiling. Jeff ran up to him, hooking arms with him and battering his eyes. Oh, he was silly.

"Damn straight," Jeff said, unhooking his arm from Kurt's and sitting down next to Blaine and Faith. "So, how are the lovebirds?" Kurt couldn't help but scowl at this. If only Jeff knew…

"Bird-y," Faith said, and Blaine laughed.

"Something like that." Blaine closed his eyes and stretched out. "We're going to have to leave soon."

"Sounds like a plan," Jeff said, jumping to his feet. As he danced out, he began to sing _Come Together_, stumbling briefly into the door.

"That boy is crazy." Faith laughed.

They piled up into the car, and Kurt avoided Jeff's flailing arms as he played the invisible bass along with _Stacy's Mom_, which was currently blasting from the radio. Kurt scowled as Jeff brushed against his hair, and his hand went up to smooth it down again, even if it wasn't more than slightly ruffled.

The moment they arrived at the theater, they made their way towards the stage. Kurt walked over to William, sighing and giving a tired smile. "Hey there."

"Oh, hi," William said, smiling right back. "You okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You look kind of out of it." William reached over, a small scowl on his face. "Your button's undone." He redid it, smoothing out the front of Kurt's jacket. He looked at Kurt with a concerned expression, and Kurt debated telling him. Maybe William would have some advice to give him.

"Alright, kids, glad to see everyone's on time," Bill called as he entered the auditorium.

Kurt shook his head and whispered to William, "Tell you later." William nodded.

"A lot of you were having trouble with _La Vie Boehme_ when we tried it last time. Ryan, you're still overpowering everyone else when Mark's singing. You need to tone it down." Ryan scowled and he cocked an eyebrow as his arms crossed over his chest. "And, Santana, you're bringing a bit too much attitude to Joanne's part here. She's cocky here, but the real attitude will be useful in both _Tango Maureen_ and _Take Me or Leave Me_." Santana nodded, though she pursed her lips.

"Now, Kurt, you could use some of that attitude. Angel is a diva, and this song is wild. You seem to be holding back a bit. Just let yourself go crazy." Bill smiled encouragingly at Kurt before turning to Jeff. "And Jeff, Benny's annoyed at everyone. They're mocking him. Last time you were kind of smiling and laughing while you were singing, so this time maybe you should try to seem properly irritated."

"Alright," Jeff said, furrowing his brow as he tried to get a more serious expression on his face.

He paused for a second surveying everyone else. " And Blaine, maybe you should seem a bit reluctant. After all, until they go outside and Mimi takes her AZT, they don't know that they both have AIDS. And Roger doesn't want to get himself into another relationship. Faith and Rachel, you two just keep on doing what you were doing. Alright?" Everyone nodded.

"So, this is _La Vie Boehme Part A_. We'll start working on the choreography next time. For now, just worry about getting the singing down." Kurt made sure to give it his all. Music was the one thing that managed to push back his fears and worries, and as they sang the song for the third time, all thoughts about Faith and her unfaithfulness faded from his mind. By that point, he was grinning, lost in Angel's character.

The concentration put forth by everyone was immense, even the minor characters singing the background vocals. People slipped into character, Jeff scowling and rolling his eyes and Santana singing more sweetly. Even Ryan managed to get over himself and bring his voice down several notches. Everyone started to blend together perfectly as the music became the only thing on all of their minds. All other troubles took the back seat at least for a few nice hours.

KBKBKBK

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about before practice," William asked as they walked toward his car. William had invited him to his house for an hour or two. Kurt had agreed, reminding William that he had to be back at Dalton by ten. They got inside the car, a small, old Toyota, and William began to pull out of the parking lot.

"So, you know Blaine, right?" William didn't turn away from the road, but his face scrunched up as he tried to remember.

"Roger, right?"

"Yeah. And you know Faith, right?"

"Mimi."

"Uh-huh. See, they're dating." Kurt still wasn't completely sure whether he should tell William, but he figured since he had already started, he might as well get it all out.

"Oh, that's kind of cool. That must make it easier to act as a couple in _RENT_." Though he nodded, Kurt scowled.

"Anyway, I was walking back to my dorm room. I share it with this guy, Richard."

"Yeah…" William seemed confused as to where this was leading.

"And I overheard him and Faith talking. Faith's cheating on him." Kurt looked down at his fingers, unsure why he had even bothered telling William this.

"Maybe you misunderstood?" William turned into a neighborhood that Kurt hadn't ever been in and slowed down. "Here's my house." It was small and hidden by multiple pine trees. William pulled into the driveway and came to a stop. He unbuckled himself and looked at Kurt. Kurt did the same, though his eyes darted around the car.

Shaking his head, Kurt felt his throat tighten. "Richard said something like, 'I love you and you love me.' They were _kissing_. I don't know whether I should tell Blaine or –" Kurt flung his arms out, feeling the pressure of the secret hit him again.

"Deep breaths, Kurt." Kurt gave a stressed smile. He had told William that he wasn't much for hugs, and it was nice to see that William had remembered. "Blaine's your close friend?"

"I don't know. He was telling me that he had an argument with Faith some two or three days before that. But then after that, he acted like the conversation never happened. I mean, we hang out occasionally, but I haven't even known him that long. Can you really be friends or get to know someone in a month or two?" Kurt rambled, starting to feel slightly pathetic.

"I – um – oh." Kurt looked up to see William blushing. His stuttering somehow reminded Kurt of when they had first met at the park. "I'd like to think it's possible to be good friends with someone in even less time than that." William was looking down into his lap, and his hand reached up, fixing his beanie.

"Is it? I don't even know. Maybe I'm just being ridiculous."

"I just assume that we – I mean, we talk about things and…" William's cheeks were crimson, and Kurt immediately felt bad. How could he have said that in front of William? And it wasn't like he was being completely reasonable – it had taken mere weeks to befriend Nick, Jeff, and Mercedes as well. "I shouldn't have –"

"No, William, we're good friends. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Kurt gave William a reassuring smile and he saw the pink starting to fade from William's cheeks.

"Sorry, I'm being silly." Kurt shook his head.

"No, you're really not. Look, why don't we go inside." William nodded and shook his head, relaxing again. William pulled out his keys and unlocked the door.

"The house is kind of a mess." There were things piled up on tables, true, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. William stepped in, slipping out of his shoes, and Kurt followed suit, glancing around. "Mom, I'm home," William called out. "I brought Kurt back, though. I hope you don't mind."

A door opened, and a short woman with her hair pulled in a bun stepped out. "Kurt, how nice to finally meet you, William talks about you all the time." William muttered something, and Kurt laughed as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you too. I hope I'm not intruding. William said it was okay for me to come…" She waved her hand and shook her head.

"Don't be silly. It's nice to see William hanging out with someone so much. It's not easy for him to make friends, you know, especially in a city like this." She scowled, and William made some sort of protesting sound.

"We're going to go upstairs, Mom. Alright?" She nodded, and William grabbed Kurt's hand, leading him toward the stairs. They walked down the hall, and William reached up, pulling a string. The stairs to the attic fell down, and William gestured that Kurt should go first. However, he realized that he was still holding on to Kurt's hand and dropped it quickly. "The room's not really at its neatest," he muttered.

Kurt walked up, shaking his head. There wasn't anything lying on his floor and only a few pieces of paper were scattered on his desk. "Oh, really?"

"Okay, so maybe it is at its neatest," William admitted, laughing. "I guess it's more habit to say that." He fell back on the bed, and Kurt glanced around the room. It wasn't really his style, but altogether it looked nice. There were records on the wall and the roof was made of glass. The walls and the furniture were a matching shade of navy blue. Kurt sat down next to him and sighed.

"So… Should I tell him?"

"What?" William looked confused for a moment before realizing that Kurt was still talking about Blaine. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe… On one hand, it's not fair for him to go on not knowing, but I doubt you want to meddle with that too much. It's kind of their personal business. I don't really know either of them or what you heard. I'm sorry I'm not much of a help."

Kurt nodded. "No, thanks anyway." He stretched back beside William, and the room was silent as they just lay there. It was William who broke the silence.

"Hey, Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"You mean what you said, right? You do honestly consider me to be your friend…"

"Yes, I definitely do." Kurt smiled.

KBKBKBK

Kurt still hadn't decided whether or not he was going to tell Blaine. It had been four days since he had overheard Faith and Richard, and Kurt was beginning to think that it wouldn't make sense anymore. How would he explain not telling him immediately? And what if Blaine thought he was making it up?

He had gone out to get some coffee by himself for a change. Nick and Jeff were busy playing ping-pong, and he hadn't wanted to bother them. He had texted Mercedes, and she had been busy with homework. And he needed time away from Blaine.

Kurt sipped his latte and rested his chin on his hand. His eyes were closed, so when someone called his name, he jumped. "Didn't mean to scare you." Kurt opened his eyes to see Rachel hovering above him, smiling. "Do you mind if I sit down?" Kurt shook his head and took another sip. "How are you?" Kurt shrugged.

"Pretty good, I suppose. You?"

"Fantastic. So, I just met this guy, Jesse St. James."

"Oh? I've never heard of him. Is he new or…"

"No, no, he goes to Carmel high." Kurt choked on his latte. Was she serious?

"Have you seen how Ryan acts?"

"I don't know. He's different. He's… nice to me. We ended up bonding over a passion for success." Kurt couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"I thought you were chasing after Finn."

"I thought you were too. Hey, didn't he move in with you?" Oh, right, that had also happened a few weeks ago. Kurt had separated their room as best as he could, but he wasn't quite as overjoyed with the thought as he might have been if he still had a crush on him. After all, the only time he really had alone all week was in his room. It seemed as if Finn didn't really love the idea either, though.

"Yeah. The room doesn't really match Finn, but I don't have time to redecorate. At least he gets the privacy five days out of the week."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something." She paused before adding, "So, I'm guessing you like Blaine." He hadn't really been expecting that. Had Mercedes told her?

"Why do you ask?"

"It's kind of obvious. The only time I've seen you as jealous as when Blaine was singing _Light Your Candle_ with Faith was when you tried to mess things up with Finn and me. You know, for an actor, you really don't know how to hide your emotions." Kurt scowled.

"I don't see how this is really any of your business. I'm happy for you and this Jesse guy, though." Of course he was obvious with it. Blaine had probably noticed as well. Maybe it was best that they didn't talk for a while.

"Look, I'm not trying to be rude. I just think that that William guy has a thing for you. We never get the chance to talk at _RENT_ rehearsals, but from what I've noticed, he's kind of obvious with it as well. It doesn't look like he needs to act much when singing _I'll Cover You_." Why did everyone assume that William liked him? Wasn't it possible for two gay guys to simply be friends?

"Why does that matter?"

"Blaine's dating a girl. I don't think he's into you. Maybe you should try to give it a go with someone who is. Maybe you'll be surprised." Kurt shrugged his shoulders and stared at his drink, feeling kind of irritated that he couldn't just be left alone.

"Hey, Kurt." Kurt looked up at Rachel again. "New Directions misses you. We tried to go to Principal Figgins and convince them that Karofsky and Azimio were guilty, but there was no evidence and they're part of the idiotic football team. I know we're not best friends or anything, but it doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate what you brought to the team. Besides, who's going to compete with me for the musical songs?"

Kurt felt more than gratitude. They had actually done that for him. He smiled at Rachel, feeling tears prickle behind his eyes. "Thank you. I –"He didn't even know what to say. "That means a lot."

KBKBKBK

"So, what are you up for watching?" William asked, curling his legs up on the couch. Kurt flipped through the DVD collection, trying to figure out watch to watch.

"Um, we have _Phantom of the Opera_, a Broadway recording of _Les Miserables_, _West Side Story_ – Oh, no; I know what we're going to watch." Kurt pulled out the DVD of _RENT_. "After all, I think it's fitting." William laughed.

"I agree. Put it in." Kurt did, and he went back to the couch, sitting next to William. Rachel's words floated around in his head. What if William did like him? And more importantly, what if he could come to like William as well? Hell, he didn't have a shot with Blaine. But if William liked him, he could be happy.

"What are you two watching?" Carole asked, walking into the room. She saw the opening credits and laughed. "Makes sense. You two working hard on _RENT_? Well, of course you are" She laughed again. "I made cookies. Or, well, rolled up some dough and put it in for ten minutes. But voila." She pulled a tray out from behind her and set it down on the table in front of them. "Now you two have fun watching your musical stuff." She walked out of the room and Kurt shook his head.

"So, she's Finn's mother, right? I don't want to mess it up. I know you've told me about her." Kurt nodded.

"Yeah, she's nice. I actually set them up because I had a crush on Finn at one point. At least they're happy."

"Oh, straight boy crush? Been there done that." Kurt cocked an eyebrow. Either William had a crush on him or he didn't have one at all by the sound of it.

"By the way, you can have all the cookies. They're too much fat for me."

The movie was starting though, and they both looked at the TV, quieting up. Before they could help themselves, they were singing along to Seasons of Love. As the movie progressed, somehow William ended up scooting closer and closer to him. It wasn't until William's head was leaning against his shoulder and he was groggily singing _I'll Cover You_ that Kurt even noticed how close William actually was.

"Hey, Kurt," William whispered as the song ended. His eyes were closed and he didn't bother lifting his head. "You make a better Angel than Wilson Jermaine Heredia does. Your voice is better and you're prettier than he – than he is." William's head went limp and his breathing started to get deeper as he fell asleep. Kurt froze. Had William just called him pretty? Rachel's words circulated in his mind until after the movie, Kurt had woken up William, and he had left.

* * *

><p><strong>So, how about that ending, huh? Leave love if you want.<strong>

**What's a Klaine moment you want to see in season three?**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Author's Note**: So, here it is. I'm sorry, lovelies, for the wait. There's a scene in here with Mercedes, and I agree with my beta - it just feels off. I tried to fix it some, but it didn't really work out. Oh, well. I stuck in a little Klaine happiness to get you through. Also, I'm curious to see what you think of the ending.

And: HOLY CRAP, DID YOU GUYS SEE THE GLEE LIVE SKIT AND THE NEW KLAINE KISS?

Chapter Nine

Dancing was never Kurt's highpoint. His inability to pull off anything remotely sexy was kind of unfortunate. It wasn't like he hadn't tried, but just the thought of swinging his hips like that and trying to seduce someone felt weird. Of course, this wasn't exactly the best situation when he was supposed to play Angel.

"C'mon, Kurt, you're not trying hard enough," Bill said, sounding frustrated. "_Today 4 U_ is everyone's first look at Angel. You're going to be jumping on tables in platform heels. If you can't even pull of the sultry look in flats, I don't know what you're going to do." They had been practicing the number for the last forty-five minutes and Kurt was still not meeting Bill's expectations.

The others were working on other songs, mainly duets. William was working on the reprise of _I'll Cover You_. Kurt sighed, standing up fully straight. "I don't know how many more times I can do this," Kurt said, trying not to show how absolutely crazy this was driving him. He had been singing the song time and time again, which he didn't quite mind as much as the moves that went with it. But, by now, even the song was getting on his nerves.

"Well, you're going to have to do it until you can get it right. You danced fine at auditions and even with William when you guys were practicing the song. Look, I need to circle around, but when I come back, I want to see some sort of improvement."

Kurt continued singing and trying to dance. He was so absorbed by his thoughts and with what he was doing that Blaine's voice made him slip, almost making him fall off the table. Luckily, he felt Blaine's hand reach up, grabbing his arm and steadying him.

"Wow, I didn't mean to scare you!" Blaine helped him off the table and smiled.

"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be practicing _Light My Candle_ with Faith?"

"No, Bill said we were good. Faith's going to practice some on her own, but Bill actually said that I should help him. He said that you had danced perfectly with me at the auditions. He was hoping that maybe I could help you loosen up and get this right." Kurt sighed and leaned into Blaine, groaning.

"I don't want to dance again."

"Well, too bad. Get up." Blaine straightened him up, and laughed.

"Do I have to?" Kurt asked, the whine pervading his voice.

"Yes. Now stand like this." Blaine moved so that he was behind Kurt and their hips were pressed together. Blaine's hands slid down to Kurt's hips, and Kurt couldn't help but blush. "This may be hokey, but, trust me, it works. Have you ever seen _Dirty Dancing_?"

"Have you?" Kurt asked, laughing. Blaine slowly began rocking their hips back and forth, and Kurt blinked rapidly, trying to think of anything other than how close Blaine was and how he could feel him practically _grinding_ against him.

"So what if I have? Faith actually made me watch it a while ago. It was one of our first dates." Oh, right, Faith, whom Blaine trusted fully. Sometimes Kurt just wanted to spill it out, but it had been too long ago at this point. It wasn't something that you could just bring up without reason, and by the time he had built up that courage, the two of them were as close as possible. Kurt had simply resigned to the thought that he wouldn't be able to tell Blaine at this point.

"Alright, yeah, I've seen it too. And it is hokey," Kurt said, laughing.

"But look at you." Kurt looked down at their hips and his smile only widened.

"Hey, I'm actually doing it somewhat."

"Quite the diva. Now you only have to keep that up while striking poses, jumping onto tables, and wearing high heels." Kurt groaned. Right, there was that whole aspect. "But you got the beginning down." Blaine moved back. "Here, try moving like that now while singing the song." Kurt suddenly felt bare without Blaine guiding him.

"I don't –"

"C'mon, pretend that I'm judging you. Don't you want to impress me?" The challenge hung in the air, and Kurt felt a sudden determination. "Try to seduce me, Kurt." Seducing Blaine – it sounded like a good idea.

"Alright, maybe I can do this." At least Kurt hoped he could.

"Of course you can! Now, the hardest part will be when you jump on that table. The tumbling on the couch – you can do that."

"That's easy for you to say. You're practically a professional furniture jumper."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaine asked, looking confused.

"I mean, when you're singing songs, you have a tendency to just leap up on the nearest couch." Kurt laughed and Blaine simply rolled his eyes.

"Gentleman, our benefactor on this Christmas day…" Blaine began, leading it in for Kurt. He could do this. Kurt pretended Blaine was still behind him, guiding his hips as he walked.

"It was my lucky day today on Avenue A, when a lady in a limousine drove my way," Kurt sang, cocking an eyebrow and strutting toward the couch. He pulled out a pair of drumsticks and jumped up on the couch. He got off quickly and walked around, his arms moving in motion to the beat. The next part was a bit tricky, but he managed to lean back on the table and do a kind of backwards bending leap.

"And a bonus if I trim her tree…" Kurt sang, winking. He jumped on top of the coffee table. Blaine sat down on the couch, and Kurt rolled down into Blaine's lap like Angel did with Collins. Only Kurt ended up laughing and interrupting the song.

His head was resting in Blaine's lap and the two of them continued laughing. For whatever reason, the more he lay there, the funnier it was. "My stomach," Kurt complained through giggles. Blaine nodded in agreement, tears forming at the corners of his eye as he leaned over.

"Ow… It hurts to breathe."

"Hey you two." William had walked over, looking a bit annoyed. His voice was tighter than usual and he wasn't smiling. Kurt lifted his head from Blaine's lap.

"Hey, William," Kurt said, smiling at him. The laughter faded, but Blaine politely nodded his head at William.

"Bill sent me over to help you as well. Though it looks like you two have it down pretty well already…" While William forced a smile on his face, Kurt noticed the bitter edge to his voice. Blaine tensed next to him.

"Did I do something wrong?" Blaine bluntly asked.

"No, I just –"The question seemed to surprise William, and he shook his head. "Sorry. L – Let me start again. We haven't really had a chance to talk much, but Kurt tells me you're one of his good friends." And there was the bashful side of him. He was blushing now and he hid his eyes behind his floppy brown hair.

"Yeah, same here; I mean, about the good friend bit."

"Maybe all three of us should hang out sometime," Kurt quickly suggested. The two of them both shot him a quizzical glance.

"I suppose," William said. "I – I mean, that'd be nice." He nodded and looked down at his feet.

"Yeah. Hey, I'll go ask Bill what he wants me to do now. See you later, Kurt." Blaine jumped up and walked away. William collapsed on the couch next to him, looking rather embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude." Well, he had. But Kurt didn't want to upset him any further than he already was.

"No, it's fine. Do you always get nervous when you meet new people?" William nodded.

"It's the only time my stupid stutter comes out. I try to avoid talking to people. I suppose that's why everyone thinks I'm antisocial." He shrugged as if this was something silly.

"But you weren't born with a stutter, were you?" William shook his head. "Do you know when you got it?" William simply nodded. Kurt had to admit that he was curious, though he didn't want to press it. William quickly supplied the answer, though. His voice shook and he stared at the ground.

"I was in first grade and people were talking about their crushes. I said I didn't know what a crush was, but that Billy was pretty cute. All the kids started teasing me, and a few of these third graders pushed me to the ground and told me that guys were supposed to like girls." Kurt felt revulsion. He knew how that was to told he didn't fit in…

"That's horrible." William shrugged.

"I mean, it wasn't _that_ horrible – nothing more than scraped knees – but a lot of people stopped talking to me because they didn't want to mess with the third graders who had pushed me down. And a lot of the others just joined in on the teasing. I don't know exactly what happened, but before I could help it, every time I tried to talk to people I'd never met, I had this stupid stutter."

"It's not stupid. It's kind of adorable," Kurt said, trying to smile. There was a lump in his throat and his blood boiled, though. Kurt could picture little William sitting by himself all through school. After all, wasn't it what he had done?

"Really?" William looked at up at him and smiled. "Thanks, Kurt."

"Hey, you two, this isn't social hour," Bill called. "Kurt desperately needs to learn those moves, so get on it."

KBKBKBK

"This frozen yoghurt is really good!" Mercedes said, grinning at Kurt.

"Uh-huh." Kurt only half-heard what Mercedes was saying. She was talking about Santana again – something about how she had far too much attitude to play someone like Joanne. Though Mercedes still occasionally complained about that, she had mainly gotten over it. It was more amusing, and the two of them would often spend hours together simply laughing.

But now all Kurt could think about was William. Maybe there was a chance that he could end up feeling something towards him. After all, they talked openly about everything, something he didn't even share with Blaine, really. And though Blaine still made his stomach flip and drove him crazy, William was probably his closest friend. Maybe it would just take a kiss or two to get further feelings than that.

"Kurt?"

"Huh?"

"Have you been listening to a word I was saying?"

"Um, Santana has an attitude problem?"Mercedes sighed.

"That part was like eight minutes ago." Kurt rubbed his temples.

"Sorry. I'm kind of distracted."

"Let me take a wild guess – Blaine." Kurt dropped his empty frozen yoghurt cup into the trash can and got up. Mercedes followed suit.

"And William. I don't know. It's complicated." Mercedes stopped and looked at him smirking.

"William? Hell to the no." She said it jokingly and laughed afterwards. "I'm surprised. But, here, how about we go to my house and we'll talk there." Kurt nodded, and they headed toward Mercedes' car. Upon piling in, though, Mercedes couldn't wait any longer. "Alright, tell me. Spill it."

"I'm not really sure. I'm pretty sure though that he likes me."

"Clearly. What made you realize?" She kept on glancing excitedly over at Kurt, and she hit the brakes harder than usual as they slowed down at a yellow light. "Sorry."

"Maybe this should wait until we're at your house." Mercedes shook her said and gave a semi-impatient sigh.

"Alright, fine. But you'd better tell me all the details."

"It's not like anything's happened yet, Mercedes!"

"But it's that _yet_ that's getting to me. I can't believe you didn't tell me before. I might have to ruffle your hair for this. Can you imagine it, completely unorganized, no comb to fix it?" Kurt scowled.

"Don't you dare." Mercedes simply laughed and turned on the radio as she made her way to her house. _Single Ladies_ came on, and she sang along, beaming excitedly. Kurt felt like she'd be let down when she heard his dilemma. After all, like what he had been trying to explain a while ago, it wasn't as if anything had actually happened. And what if William had just called him pretty because he was tired or something? Wasn't that a possibility? Kurt couldn't help but worry.

When they finally pulled in, she practically leapt out of the door and they made their way to her house and into her room. Mercedes leapt up on the bed and looked at Kurt expectantly. "Now tell me everything." Kurt sighed and sat cross-legged next to her.

"So, William went over at my house one day and we watched _RENT_. It was kind of late and we were just kind of singing along and everything. But then he was getting really tired, and suddenly he was curled up on my shoulder –" Mercedes let out an excited sound, and Kurt glared at her.

"Sorry. I just can't help it. I think you two would be adorable together." So, Kurt had a pretty good idea what her advice in this situation would be...

"_Anyway_, as I was saying, he was about to fall asleep, and he said that I made a better Angel than _Wilson_ Jermaine _Heredia because I sang better and –" Kurt paused; it all felt kind of surreal._

_"And what? You can't just cut off like that." As she laughed, Kurt reached out, running Mercedes' hair through his fingers and separating it out to make a braid._

_"He called me pretty."_

_"A bit childish, but still… I told you he liked you!" Her smug look made Kurt roll his eyes. "Are you going to ask him out or what's the deal?" Kurt had known that she would be excited by this, but he had been hoping to get a somewhat helpful response from her. Of course, this wasn't something he felt entirely comfortable discussing with anyone. And Mercedes was his closest friend besides William. Blaine might have been a good judge if only he wasn't involved__ in the mess._

_"No, I'm not going to ask him out," Kurt scoffed, and he slowly picked up a hair tie from Mercedes' bedside stand, finishing the braid. Mercedes reached back and grinned as she turned so that she was facing a mirror._

_"You do a better French braid than any girl I know."_

_"Thanks."_

_"Alright, so, what's the deal with this, then?" Kurt flattened the creases in his pants and stared down at the bedspread._

_"What if I could potentially develop feelings for him? Does that even make sense?"Kurt tried to think of a way to phrase his thoughts together so that it would sound fine._

_"What do you mean? Do you still like Blaine or not?" And there was the question he wanted to avoid himself._

_"Yes, I still like him. I can't get over him. But I want to. I want to so badly. He's straight."_

_"With a girlfriend who's cheating on him," Mercedes added, looking slightly angry. "Did you ever tell him?"_

_"No. I don't even know what our friendship's like. There are times when I'm talking with him and I feel like I can tell him everything and we just can't stop laughing and all I want to do is reach over and hold his hand and –" Kurt cut off. He hadn't talked about this with anyone before. Sure, people knew that he liked Blaine, b__ut most people assumed it was a silly little crush. It sure didn't feel like it._

_"Kurt, honey, come here." Mercedes pulled him into a rather rough hug, and Kurt pulled his head back slightly, hoping his hair wasn't ruffled. "So how does William play into this?"_

_"I – I really love having him as a friend. I __was thinking that maybe if we kissed or something that – I don't know – maybe my feelings could develop past just… friendship. Maybe it just needs a push in that direction." That part was obvious enough. And thinking about it, the idea wasn't much of a bad idea either. Mercedes nodded and waited for Kurt to continue._

_"But I don't want to hurt him. And if he really liked me, it wouldn't be fair to do that to him. I mean, if Blaine kissed me just to see if he was bi or something, knowing that I liked him, I would – I don't even know what I'd do. I don't want to be that person. He deserves better."_

_Mercedes paused for a second, taking a deep breath as her eyes unfocused. It took a good half minute before she spoke. "Look, I don't want you getting hurt. Do you honestly think you could like William with a push in that direction, or are you just using him as a replacement so that you could get over Blaine?"__The latter__… But that wasn't what Kurt said._

_"I think I might honestly like him," Kurt said, staring down at the sheet again as if engrossed by its simple design._

_"Then, I dunno, maybe you should go for it," Mercedes concluded. She leaned forward again, hugging him, and Kurt somehow managed to pull off a fake smile. "Kurt, you sure you okay?" Kurt nodded._

_"Yeah, I suppose this is just weird for me." __In the sense that I might be making a huge mistake__… Mercedes tilted his head so that she was looking straight at him._

_"Look, if you think this isn't right, don't do it. I know I get excited easily, but I just want you to be happy, okay?" _

KBKBKBK

Rehearsals had just ended, and Kurt was supposed to ride back to Dalton with Blaine, Faith, and Jeff. Still, he lingered for a while to talk with William. "I think it's going well," William said cheerily.

"I slipped and almost hit my head on the table when I tried to get on it," Kurt laughed, shaking his head. He still hadn't gotten everything down for _Today 4 U_. Luckily all his lines had long ago been memorized. He was fine for most songs. He'd even gotten the moves down for _La Vie __Boheme_. _Santa Fe_ was the only other song that was giving him any trouble.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get it eventually," William said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's a hard move to do, and Bill put you in high heels today."

"Yeah, my feet noticed, thanks," Kurt joked. Slowly he leaned closer to William, bumping against him and letting their fingers brush together experimentally. God, he felt awful. Why did he feel so awful doing this? Mercedes said there was a chance that he could like William. And Rachel had given him the same advice. And he didn't even know whether William liked him. Or, well, what if he had just misinterpreted it. _Yeah, because people just call you pretty as a friend…_

But then William jolted, his eyes widening slightly as he moved back. That pink blush said everything, though. William liked him. "I guess I'll see you t – tomorrow," William stuttered, shaking his head. Kurt was sure he heard him mutter under his breath, "Damn stutter…"

"'Course," Kurt said, leaning forward, hugging him. Kurt could feel William stiffen underneath him as he wrapped his arms around him. Still, he relaxed into the hug after a moment or two and as Kurt pulled back, a timid smile spread across his face.

"You hugged me." He quickly added, "I'm stating the obvious."

"No, it's fine." Kurt smiled back reassuringly as his hand brushed against William's again. William lingered for a second or two longer before pulling back this time. Kurt turned and began making his way away from William. Maybe he'd have to say something more than that…

"Hey, Kurt?" William's voice was higher than usual. Kurt turned around, and was almost shocked by what he saw. William was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, wringing his hands. He hadn't exactly been calm, but in mere seconds he had gone from faintly unnerved to absolutely flustered. Still, Kurt kept the same expression.

"Yeah?"

"So, um, Ikindoflikeyou." Kurt felt a tug at his heart. Sure, he had known it, but hearing it was different. Someone actually _liked_ him.

"… What?" It took a moment before his legs started working again and he made his way toward William.

"Maybe I'm just being stupid. I shouldn't be – I'm – um, I thought I was obvious. But – uh –" He sounded so much like the first time Kurt had met him, absolutely unsure of himself. It was a side of him that Kurt had only seen a little bit when William had introduced himself to new people.

"You like me?" Kurt asked, some of the shock in his voice actually sounded genuine. No matter how many times he had repeated those thoughts in his mind, it was different to hear them coming from William's mouth.

"Well, I mean – basically, yeah. I have since I met you. You're just really genuine, and I feel like I can just trust myself around you. Like I don't need to hide anything but I thought you –"He shook his head, and Kurt's brow furrowed. "So – um – do you… I should shut up."

Kurt reached out, grabbing William's hand and pulled it up to his mouth, placing a kiss on the palm. William let out a squeak, and leaned forward. His lips were mere inches away, and the blush was spreading across his face.

"I – um…" He looked so scared, but as their lips met, and Kurt's arms wrapped around him, he could feel William relax into the touch, pressing against him. The kiss wasn't perfect. It was awkward and it felt nothing like Kurt ever imagined a kiss would. William's lips were dry and chapped and they scraped against his, but Kurt let himself fall into the kiss. He pulled back slightly and William looked at him with wide, uncertain eyes before leaning forward again.

This time Kurt felt William's tongue poke between his lips. It wasn't altogether… unpleasant. And William's hand moved up, cupping Kurt's cheek. William stroked small circles on Kurt's skin with his finger as his tongue moved out, mapping Kurt's mouth. The kiss was interrupted as Kurt heard Blaine's voice.

"Kurt are you comin – Oh my God." They pulled back and Kurt turned to see Blaine, Jeff, and Faith staring at them with wide eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, isn't this an interesting development? *whistles innocently* Feel free to complain.<strong>

**Also: What ships (canon or not) are your favorite - Klaine excluded?**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Author's Note**: You guys are so amazing, and can I please just have a massive hugging fest with you all? ;_;

I'd like to thank my amazing beta, as always.

Also, I wrote a Klaine oneshot that took a helluva lot of effort, and I'd **reallyreallyreally **appreciate it if you could check it out. Okay, that's all. I'll just let you read now.

Chapter Ten

Kissing William for the first time, Kurt had been swept away by the idea that he was kissing someone who cared about him. It was easy to get lost in that thought. The second time, there wasn't anything to distract him. They had gone out for coffee and William had spent the entire time holding his hand and smiling shyly. And when they had turned to leave, William had pulled him closer.

Kurt hated that he was shorter than William and that his head pressed up against William's chest. He hated that it wasn't like Blaine, where Blaine was the one pressed up against his shoulder when they hugged. It felt better that way. This felt wrong. And William's hands weren't calloused.

It wasn't that it didn't feel good to a certain extent when they kissed, but Kurt felt nothing. When William gently pressed against him, sighing happily, Kurt felt a small physical pull, but nothing beyond that. _But it was only the second time. Maybe I'll still feel something_, Kurt told himself.

But it still felt like he was kissing a friend after the third time; and the fourth, and even on the eighth, for that matter. If anything, kissing William made him feel worse. William liked him, and what was he doing to him? It was even showing at _RENT_ rehearsals. Bill had complained last rehearsals that William had lost his ability to be anything but sweet.

"Collins has his moments like that, but he's a drop-out computer age philosophy teacher. Mostly he's kind of gruff in a cocky sort of way. He lives a Bohemian lifestyle. So drop the puppy eyes and get in character."

William only continued to frustrate Bill – and everyone else for that matter – during the rest of rehearsals as he failed to do it at all. They hadn't kissed in front of people other than the first time when Blaine, Faith, and Jeff had walked in and when he and William had hung out with Nick and Jeff, but Kurt was sure they had some sort of an idea. _So, they'll have some sort of an idea when I break his heart_…

He wasn't sure whether he could continue to pull of this charade. His cheeks hurt from smiling when he didn't mean it. And to make matters worse, he was fairly sure Blaine was avoiding him. Kurt hadn't been able to talk to him since he had caught him kissing William. He wasn't sure what it was yet, but every time he walked into a room, Blaine conveniently had just left or had some excuse up his sleeve. True, it had only been five days, but still!

All in all, Kurt felt like crap. After all, he had criticized Faith for hurting Blaine by cheating. True, she was lying to everyone else. But Kurt, he knew he was lying to himself. William had been his failed attempt at a replacement – in his mind at least – for Blaine. William deserved to be more than a replacement. He deserved someone who could love him back and who felt just as much of a thrill when they held hands. And as much as he wanted to, Kurt couldn't give him that.

KBKBKBK

"You are coming with us." Kurt lifted his head to see Jeff and Nick hovering above him.

"I'm trying to study for French. There's a test tomorrow," Kurt said, hoping they'd let it pass as an excuse. No such luck.

"What do you have in that class – a ninety-five?"

"Nonante-six," Kurt replied, scowling.

"Gesundheit," Jeff said, laughing.

"You'll have to excuse us. We're uneducated in the fine and fantastic language of France," Nick added.

"Alliteration."

"Quite." If they weren't trying to hold some sort of an intervention, Kurt might have almost found them amusing.

"But rhetorical devices aside, you're coming with us," Jeff said, his smile starting to fade.

"Fine." Kurt tried to show his unhappiness with what they were doing, but neither of them seemed too concerned. "And, for your information, I said ninety-six."

"So, basically, you're going to do fine. I don't think even Wes had a ninety-six in that class last year," Nick said. "And he's Asian." They were laughing and leading the way to their dorm. Kurt couldn't help but wonder what they exactly were going to say to him. A part of him knew that it would have to do with Blaine and William. They had hung out with William and him one day, and the two of them had kept on exchanging glances.

As they finally went in and the door shut down behind them, both Jeff and Nick motioned for Kurt to have a seat on Nick's bed. They flopped down on Jeff's and sighed. "Alright, so we're going to tell you a secret," Jeff said.

"And if you tell anyone, you're going to wake up one day and find all of your favorite designer clothes hanging from a flagpole. Wait, we have a flagpole, right?" Jeff nodded. Although Nick had tried to turn it into a joke, Kurt could still hear the seriousness behind his voice.

"My lips are sealed," Kurt said. He was slightly intrigued. What was this secret going to have to do with anything?

"So, back in seventh grade, we were the same silly us," Jeff began.

"Only younger," Nick added.

"And even more immature."

"That's possible?" Kurt asked, smiling slightly. They rolled their eyes, but laughed. Jeff continued.

"But, you know how we act." Kurt nodded. "Okay, so remember that time you asked us if we were gay?" Well, that came out of nowhere. Didn't it?

"Don't tell me you have some long, hidden romance?" Both Jeff and Nick laughed, but shook their heads.

"No, like we said, we're straight," Jeff said.

"But everyone asked us that question. A lot of people said that sometimes we acted like it."

"Honestly, they were probably just jealous of our matching bracelets." Kurt groaned.

"Matching bracelets? I'm sorry, I'm gay, but that – _that_ is gay." Jeff reached over to a drawer and pulled out a small teal string bracelet. The knot was still there, but it had been cut off ages ago.

"Hey, don't diss the bracelet," Nick said. "I still have mine as well. Although mine's navy because navy is cooler."

"Is not!" Jeff said, punching Nick's shoulder.

"Okay, so where is this going?" Kurt asked quickly before Nick could reply with an "is too".

"Basically, in seventh grade we wanted to put that theory to the test. In our defense, a lot of people aren't completely sure about their sexuality," Nick said. Put that to the test, though, what did that mean?

"We were having a sleepover one night."

"In our matching _Transformers_ boxers, none-the-less," Nick added, beaming despite Kurt's groan.

"And somehow we ended up kissing." They had kissed. Kurt wasn't sure what to even think about that. He could just picture miniature Nick and Jeff being just as silly, but kissing…

"Feel free to shut your jaw anytime you'd like," Nick said, only semi-jokingly, and Kurt obliged. He hadn't even realized he was legitimately gaping at them.

"Anyway, we tried kissing like two times, but then we both realized that it wasn't for us." Jeff shrugged.

"Basically, that's when we realized that we were straight, and no matter what other people expected or thought of us, we were just best friends," Nick concluded.

Kurt was wondering where they were going with this. He could see why they didn't want the story getting out, but it was nice to know that it hadn't interfered with their friendship at all. "And you guys didn't feel awkward about this at all?" Kurt asked incredulously. He'd imagine that sort of a thing would put a strain on a relationship.

"I mean, for like two hours afterwards. But then Jeff started messing with my Superman action figure and I had to tackle him to the ground," Nick said, laughing. Jeff nodded, and the both of them were left giggling at the memory.

"So, um, I'm guessing you're not just telling me this for fun?" Kurt shifted uncomfortably.

"No, Kurt, we're not," Jeff said, starting to look serious again.

"This has to do with what you're doing to William," Nick supplied after a short pause. "Look, you're not being fair to anyone here."

"Just like when Nick and I kissed, when you kissed William, you realized you were nothing more than friends." Jeff sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You should've just stopped at that because unlike Nick and me, the feeling isn't mutual."

"William likes you. A lot. He sees himself like the Mary Jane to your Spiderman."

"I've never seen _Spiderman_," Kurt replied. Both Nick and Jeff looked utterly horrified.

"That's another problem we'll have to fix, but we'll get to that later," Jeff said, exchanging a final, appalled glance.

"Basically, it's not fair what you're doing to him," Nick continued, throwing his hands up and giving Kurt a helpless look.

"How do you know I don't like William just as much?" Kurt asked, his defense mechanism kicking in. Of course he didn't, but a part of him hurt to hear how obvious it was. God, what was he doing to William? He shouldn't have brought it on himself in the first place. Rachel hadn't meant it in a mean way. She had just tried to help him, but he had taken her advice and made a mess out of everything. Kurt had known before going into it that what he was doing was wrong. He had just managed to convince himself that it wasn't.

"Kurt, you're still staring at Blaine helplessly. And when William was nuzzling against you when we hung out, you looked like you just wanted to get away from him," Nick said.

"You don't babble about him like you did with Blaine, and you haven't looked truly happy since Blaine, Faith, and I walked in on you two kissing," Jeff finished.

"Oh." Kurt didn't know what to say. He was utterly hopeless. All he wanted to do was curl up with some non-fat popcorn, _Moulin Rouge_, and cry.

"He's not Blaine. You can't replace him like that. Both of you deserve better," Nick whispered, and he and Jeff changed beds and sat next to Kurt. They didn't try to pull Kurt in a hug or even pat him on the back, but somehow sitting next to him helped Kurt. He sniffled and nodded, resigning himself what they were saying.

"So, what's your advice?" Kurt finally croaked out; his voice shaking and somewhat hoarse.

"Tell William."

"Bu – but he's going to be angry at me!" Kurt didn't want to face him and explain what he had done. William was going to be devastated.

"Can you blame him?" Nick asked, and Kurt shook his head. Of course he couldn't. He hadn't been fair towards William. He had used him.

"But he has a right to know. The least you can do is try to explain everything to him. He's probably going to be angry at you for a little while, but he cares about you, so he won't be able to stay like that for long," Jeff added.

It must have been minutes since they sat there; Kurt curled up, his legs on the bed and his chin resting on his knees. Jeff and Nick didn't say a single word anymore, for which Kurt was grateful. He already felt horrible enough. But they were right. He had to say something. He couldn't go on lying to everyone. The longer he delayed it, the worse it'd be. He'd already gone far enough in almost waiting a week. Finally Kurt unfurled himself and nodded.

William wanted to come to Dalton tomorrow to hang out. He'd simply have to tell him then. There'd be no kissing or hugging – no more faked and forced emotions. William would know the truth. He'd dug himself into this hole, and he had to get out of it. He just hoped it wouldn't cost him William's friendship.

"Thank you, you two," Kurt finally said.

KBKBKBK

Kurt felt his heart knot up as he saw William walk towards him. Tomorrow at rehearsals William wouldn't be smiling like this. Instead he'd hate him. Kurt wasn't sure whether he could handle this. He just had to say it.

"Hey there," William said as he came within earshot, beaming widely at Kurt. "You almost can pull off that blazer." He laughed, though it quickly died when Kurt didn't laugh back. "Something wrong?"

"Um, William, can we sit down?" Kurt motioned to a bench. He and Blaine had sat there the first time they had truly talked, when Blaine had called him courageous and Kurt had spilled his soul out. Kurt swallowed thickly.

"Sure. But did something happen?" William scooted closer on the bench, but Kurt shook his head, pressing back against his side. "Did _I_ do something?" Suddenly William seemed worried, and Kurt couldn't help but let out a sound between a sob and laugh. Wasn't this how conversations always started in the movies – the famous 'it's not you; it's me' talk? "Say something, Kurt!"

"I can't do this." William froze next to him, and his hand stopped mid-reach. There, he had said it. This conversation had officially started.

"Ca – Can't do what?" William knew. There was fear and denial in his eyes – a panicked 'this can't be happening' sort of look.

"This. Us. I made a mistake." Kurt's voice wavered as he saw William slowly deflate and fall apart in front of him. Knowing he had hurt William was one thing, but seeing it like this made him ache. William was his friend.

"I don't underst – stand." Kurt could tell the tears were coming. William's hands curled up and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed.

"I like someone else," Kurt managed to whisper. "I thought that maybe I could get over him, but –"

"You used me?" William's voice was small and he shook his head as if somehow that would erase what Kurt had just said.

"I – yes. I never meant to."

"Never meant to... What exactly did you mean to do?"

"I thought I could like you. I just wasn't sure. But I didn't know h – how to be sure without kissing you or something." Kurt wasn't sure how to form his thoughts. It was almost cruelly comical, Kurt thought as his words came out disjointed. Here he was stuttering while William could form a simply sentence easily.

"Let me take a wild guess. Blaine Anderson, am I right?" William turned away for a moment, and when he looked back, the tears he had been trying to hold back fell down his face. "It was always Blaine fucking Anderson," he sobbed, his voice higher than usual. There was something almost scary in hearing William curse. He had never heard him say anything past 'damn' before. "Wasn't it?"

Kurt nodded, and his own barriers broke down. He reached out for William, but William shook him off. "Don't touch me. Just don't – "He jumped out of Kurt's reach. " I knew it. All this time, but then you said you cared and it didn't matter. I let myself believe you."

"I'm sorry. I'm so s- sorry. William, please, I just wanted to –"He didn't even know what he had wanted to do. To make sure? But that didn't sound right either. Kurt shook and he looked up at William with wide, hopeless eyes.

"Enlighten me. What exactly where you trying to do? You just wanted to get a fuck in as well, but then you realized that I'm not even attractive enough for that? I can't imagine you'd think trusting you and giving you my heart was enough."

Kurt's words stuck in his throat. William shook above him; his eyes were narrow slits and his hands were balled into fists. He swung out as if he was going to hit Kurt, but stopped a mere inch or two away from Kurt's face. Kurt flinched. He'd never seen this side of William before. William had always been sweet and loving. But, then again, Kurt couldn't blame him for lashing out. He had every right.

"No. Please. I didn't mean to. You're one of m – my best friends." That apparently was the wrong thing to say. William flinched as if a jolt of electricity had gone through him, and his sneer faded as he broke down completely.

"That's exactly the problem." With that he began to back away. Kurt went to get up, but William turned around, running. He called back behind him, "Just leave me alone. Just –"William turned around for a moment, and Kurt could tell, even though his sight was blurry from tears, that William's expression was one of heartbreak and anguish. Kurt sat from the bench, frozen, watching until William's car had faded away.

"Shit," Kurt muttered before burying his face in his hands. William hated him. And worse yet, he couldn't be angry at William; he could only be angry with himself. _Why am I such an idiot_? He had hurt him more than he could imagine. Kurt sobbed, wishing he could somehow disappear and never have to face anyone again.

So, when a hand touched him on his shoulder, it scared him. When he looked up, Blaine was standing behind him, looking concerned.

"Kurt, what the hell happened?" Fantastic, had Blaine heard the whole conversation? "I heard yelling and I came out here to see William storming off and –"He answered Kurt's unasked question, and his hand squeezed Kurt's shoulder. "Am I going to have to beat him up for you? I've never beaten anyone up. But I've never seen you like this either…" Letting go of Kurt's shoulder, he slid down next to him, and his arm wrapped around Kurt.

"No, if you want to beat up anyone, it should be me." Blaine looked horrified at this.

"Kurt?" He wanted an explanation, didn't he? Screw it; he was already in deep enough of a hole.

"William likes me, and I – I took advantage of that," Kurt said between sobs.

"How?"

"I like –" _You_. "– another boy. But he doesn't like me back."

"And you're sure of that?" Blaine asked.

"Hundred percent – he's straight." Blaine nodded, but didn't say anything. "And I just wanted to get over him because every time I think of him, it hurts to know that he won't like me that way… And every time he – he's close to me, I just want him to hold me." Kurt licked his lips, which had dried out, tasting the saltiness of his own tears. He gasped for breaths and shook his head wildly.

"I'm so sorry Kurt." Blaine was closer to him than should have been possible. All Kurt wanted to do was to reach out and wrap his arms around him, but he knew he'd only make a bigger mess of things.

"Don't be. I used him, W – William, I mean. I thought I could get over the other guy, so I tried to kiss William to see if I could like him instead. But William actually liked me. And he trusted m – me…" Kurt shook, and looked up to see Blaine trembling, his hands reached out as if he was unsure of what to do. "Does it make me a horrible person?"

"No, Kurt, God no, it just makes you a human being. I'm not saying that that was the most honorable thing to do, but you were scared, and love is silly and it can make us do stupid things." Blaine decidedly reached out, pulling Kurt against him. The calloused hands felt almost familiar, and Kurt nuzzled further up against Blaine. "Don't you ever think you're a bad person, okay? You're one of the most amazing people I know."

"I –"Kurt didn't even know how to express what he was feeling. He simply pressed his face against Blaine's shirt, and sobbed, letting Blaine hold him. He could feel Blaine's hands rub soothingly up and down his back, and minutes later, his sobs subsided. Still, Kurt lay there, curled up on the bench, leaning against Blaine. It was amazing how Blaine's mere touch and presence calmed him down. Even the shakiness of his breaths stopped, and he nuzzled his face in, smiling slightly as Blaine laughed.

"That tickles." Kurt stopped and tilted his head so that he was smiling at Blaine.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Blaine's hand rested on his thigh, and Kurt felt a pink tinge take over his face. Blaine seemed oblivious and still looked at him with nothing but sympathy.

"For listening to me. For helping me calm down. For – I don't even know." He leaned forward, and their noses brushed together in an Eskimo kiss.

"Kurt, I don't want to see you hurting. You've gone through enough shit in your life. And I'm not saying what you did was good, but you did the right thing by telling him." Kurt's hand slipped down to Blaine's other one. They held it there for a few minutes, sitting in silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, then. I apologize for not giving you jealous!Blaine, but did you like the comforting scene at the end? Or the NickJeff scene? I don't know. What are your thoughts?**

**Also: Your favorite part of Glee as a whole? **

**I know for me it's the amazingly positive portrayal of a strong, gay character. Also, I have to admit I have a soft spot for the cheese. ;)**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Author's Note**: Oh my Rowling, I apologize profusely for not updating sooner. I got lazy, and then I was traveling. I still am, and my friend's asleep next to me. Actually, I got to go to the Harry Potter premiere in NYC! I stood outside the red carpet and flailed. That was truly amazing. So, my life's pretty good about now. You should tell me about yours.

Also, I'm appreciating the multitudes of reviews, and I apologize for not getting back to the PMs! Oh, and fair warning: the drama continues in this chapter. I'd like to thank my beta and let you read it without any further ado.

Chapter Eleven

Kurt didn't want rehearsals to come. He had tried calling William, but William refused to answer his phone. Kurt was certain he had left over eight apologetic, awkward voice mails. But, then again, he didn't blame William. He needed his space, and Kurt would see him anyway at rehearsals. It's just that Kurt feared what William might say at rehearsals. And in any case, he had already screwed over that friendship, hadn't he?

As Kurt went into the building, his phone vibrated. There was a text from Blaine. "**Courage**" Kurt couldn't help but smile. Blaine had spent over a good hour simply sitting with Kurt and holding him, their hands clasped together. It had all felt so intimate. Kurt had never wanted it to end. In a way, though, it had made him feel worse. He had broken up with William and then curled up against the reason of said break-up. _At least both we both know Blaine will never return the feelings_, Kurt thought bitterly.

Upon entering, he saw William huddled up by himself. Kurt immediately rushed over to him, and William looked up with wide eyes. "William, look, I'm –"

"Yeah, I got your messages. You're sorry. You'll just have to forgive me if I'm a little upset." He moved back as Kurt tried to reach out and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"No, you have every right to be," Kurt said, shaking his head.

"Oh, do I have your blessing now? I'm glad. I was worried you'd think I didn't know how to feel myself." William sneered at him, and Kurt pushed back tears. He had known it was going to be like this. But – God – he just wanted everything to go back to how things were. Of course they wouldn't. Kurt knew he deserved this, but it didn't mean that it didn't sting when William turned around and marched off.

"Having trouble?" Kurt turned around to see Ryan facing him, a look of disdain on his face.

"Why is it your problem?"

"Oh, it isn't. I was just thinking that any _professional_ would know better than to get involved with other people in the cast." Kurt gritted his teeth. The last thing he needed was Ryan trying to tell him off. "I mean, really it's such an amateur move." Ryan rolled his eyes.

"You'd know about amateur, wouldn't you?"

"Excuse me?" Ryan seemed to puff up, and he glared at Kurt.

"You just waltzed in here from day one thinking you were better than the rest of us. You're probably the worst singer of the main cast. And in every single song, we've had to stop to help you adapt to Mark's character because you failed so badly. And you're so socially incompetent that you don't even know how to interact with anyone." Not all of it was true – Ryan's voice, regrettably was actually fairly decent – but Kurt was beyond the point of caring.

"I don't need advice from you. Look at you, trying to date one person in the cast and pining after another one." Kurt froze and stared at him in a mix of horror and disgust. Was it that obvious? "Being _socially incompetent_ helps you notice a thing or two about other people." Ryan smirked as Kurt crumpled.

"I –"Kurt didn't even know what to say. It was just his luck that Ryan noticed, and now it was being held above him.

"Uh-huh, so I'd shut that ungodly mouth of yours unless you want your little Warbler friend finding out how exactly you feel about him." Kurt swallowed thickly, his fists clenching as he tried to push back tears which more persistently tried to come up.

As a few final people came in, Bill clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone okay?" He looked worriedly over at Kurt and Ryan and then at William, who was standing, lips pursed, in the corner. When no one responded, Bill shrugged. Kurt looked over to see Blaine looking at him curiously. As if he could tell Blaine what he and Ryan were arguing about…

"So we just have over three weeks until the first show, guys," Bill continued. "We need to get some of these moves down completely, and in two weeks we're going to have our first dress rehearsal."

The rehearsals seemed to drag on for ages. Kurt just wanted it to finish so that he could go home and curl up. Maybe he could cook something. Somewhere towards the end, though, as if things weren't already bad enough, Bill had them practice _Santa Fe_.

Kurt had tried his hardest to smile, but William's voice sounded almost hollow. After a few measures, Bill had stopped them. "Look, William, what's wrong? You two had this song down ages ago." William shrugged his shoulders moodily, but didn't say anything. "Would a smile really hurt? And the two of you need to scoot closer together."

Kurt pressed closer to William, and reached for his hand, but William scooted over very slightly. Kurt couldn't push it, but he didn't know what to say. "Santa Fe."

"Sing it, girl…"

"Center of the universe. Times are shitty, but I'm pretty sure they can't be worse."

As the song went on, though, William's voice started to shake, and his hand started to tremble. And when he looked at Kurt, Kurt could see his eyes were watery. He had a stressed smile on his face, and was somehow pulling of a decently happy-sounding voice. But it slowly broke down.

Bill cut them off again. "Alright, one more time. C'mon William, you can do better than that. You too, Kurt…" William nodded, and Kurt set his jaw.

"Sorry," William muttered, looking down at his feet. Kurt looked away, wishing there was something he could do to correct it. But of course there wasn't. Kurt started the song again, but William missed a note less than a minute into the song, and turned around, his shoulders shaking. It didn't take a genius to figure that much out.

"What's suddenly changed? You two are acting like you've just gone through a break-up or something." He laughed until he noticed the guilt in Kurt's eyes and William's rapidly deteriorating composure. "Oh, oh wow. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep any – Um…" He blinked at them, unsure what to say. Kurt shook his head, and Bill uncomfortably looked away.

"Just – I think William might need a moment," Kurt murmured, walking towards William. Bill nodded and shuffled away to another group of people, looking uneasy.

"Please don't," William said as Kurt reached out a hand again. "I don't know whether I can –"He shook his head and stepped away. "I need time." Kurt nodded, and William turned around, looking at him finally. His eyes were red and puffy, and he reached up, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry," Kurt whispered, unsure what else he really could say.

"I know. Or, well, I think I do." William paused, before adding, "Actually, I don't know what to think. I _really_ liked you. Like you. I'm just not ready to have this conversation yet. Okay?" The fact that William was asking him whether that was alright seemed wrong. William was the one who needed comforting, not him. Kurt gave a jerky nod, and watched as William went over to Bill, asking him something. Bill nodded, and William went to leave.

Bill walked over to Kurt, looking confused, but he politely didn't bring anything up. "Maybe you can practice _Today 4 U_ again, then?"

KBKBKBK

Kurt sighed as he walked out of the theater. He had barely made it a few steps before Blaine had caught up with him. Ryan was only a few feet away, and Kurt's jaw tightened as he saw Ryan smirk. For someone who was so self-absorbed, he was too observant of others, Kurt decided. "It didn't go over well?" Blaine asked.

Kurt sighed. "I mean, I didn't really expect him to forgive me right away. It's just – I've really hurt him, Blaine. I've never seen him like this." Kurt shrugged and his breath caught in his throat as Blaine reached out and took his hand. Sure, they were little gestures, but every time he did them, Kurt felt his stomach flip.

"Sometimes you do things, and you don't mean to hurt people, but you just don't think things all the way through…" Kurt's brow scrunched together. Not that Blaine was entirely incorrect, but it was an odd way of putting it.

"What?" Kurt asked, and Blaine's eyes snapped up from the floor to Kurt.

"Huh, oh, no, I just mean, you didn't mean to hurt William. But, like I've said, you've done the brave thing in not hiding it. Secrets only end up hurting people…" Kurt nodded and the two of them walked outside. Summer was just around the corner, really, and the heat hit them as the doors opened.

Secrets hurt people. And he was keeping more than one. There was his crush – which was harmless – and there was the more important thing, Faith's cheating.

"Hey, Blaine?" Kurt bit his lips nervously.

"Hmm?"

"Did you and Faith resolve that argument you two had?" Blaine's hand slipped out of his.

"What?"

"The argument that you and Faith had, when you were talking with me that one time, you know, and –"

"I know what you're referring to. That's just an odd thing to bring up." His voice was oddly cold and unsteady. Kurt scowled. Blaine hadn't been this closed off since this topic had first come up. Even when Blaine had tried avoiding him, Blaine hadn't reacted like this.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked.

"No, I'm fine." He didn't sound fine. "But is there a reason you're bringing this up?" Kurt felt his voice catch in his throat, and he wasn't sure how to say what he had to say.

"Um, well, a while ago –"Kurt started, and Blaine cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes? What exactly did you see a while ago?" Taking a deep breath, Kurt repeated it in his head: _Faith's cheating on you_.

"Hey, guys, how are you?" Faith said, walking up to them and smiling. Kurt froze. There was no way he could possibly say it while she was just standing there. He shook his head.

"What were you going to say? Tell me." Blaine's harsh voice scared him. He wasn't just uncomfortable, it sounded as if he was blaming Kurt for something.

"What's going on here?" Faith asked, looking suddenly concerned. "You two okay?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just wondering what Kurt wanted to tell me. He was saying something about you, actually," Blaine said, his eyes narrowing. His arm wrapped around Faith and he pulled her closely against him.

"Oh…" Faith looked afraid suddenly. "What a – about?" Her face seemed to drain from color and Kurt found all words stuck in his throat. He couldn't do it. And the way Blaine was looking at him… First William was angry at him and now Blaine. Kurt turned away, tears welling up in his eyes. Crap, things just weren't turning out the way he wanted at all.

But he couldn't help it. The tears made their way through his barriers, and Kurt began walking away. "Wait, Kurt!" It wasn't Blaine calling after him; it was Faith.

"What do you want?" Kurt asked, dabbing at his eyes. He pulled a scarf out of his pocket and wrapped it around his neck. True, it was hot, but that didn't mean he couldn't look decent.

"Kurt, I know what you're talking about. It's about the thing with Richard, isn't it?" She put her hand on Kurt's arm, but Kurt pulled away.

"Yes, it is. But I guess Blaine doesn't want to hear about it."

"He knows about it," she said, shaking her head. There was something she wasn't saying. Maybe she was even lying – Kurt didn't know what to think anymore.

"So, he knows that you cheated." Her face twisted into a grimace, and Kurt faintly heard her repeat the word quietly as if it didn't fit her. What else would it even be?

"Yes, he knows that I… cheated." Kurt snorted; how could Blaine still stay with her after all of this?

"I give up," Kurt snorted, throwing his hands up in the air and going to walk away.

"You like him," Faith whispered, and Kurt turned to face her.

"Does everyone know? Do I have a sign on my back that just announces it? Is there something I'm missing?" Kurt couldn't believe it. Apparently everyone knew. Nothing was working for him at all. All he wanted to do was calm down and get over this, but that was never going to happen. Faith shook her head, looking at him sadly.

"I don't think he _knows_ if it makes you feel any better."

"Well thank God someone doesn't." Kurt went to leave, and this time Faith didn't try to stop him. Kurt felt himself break down again as he walked away, and as soon as he slipped inside of the car, he fell down on the steering wheel.

Why couldn't things go back to the way they had been before? Hell, he even wanted to go back to McKinley. Screw Azimio and Karofsky; they were easier to handle than this. All that he needed to happen was for Blaine to find out. Even that wouldn't surprise him anymore. Kurt lay there after a few moments, his head pressed against the steering wheel, before he turned on the car, clicked the radio off, and headed home.

KBKBKBK

Blaine was avoiding him now too, and Kurt thought he might as well just go insane. Rachel had already apologized to him, saying that she had no clue that it would spiral out of control with William. And since she and Santana had heard, everyone in Glee club heard. Mercedes had already talked with him about it.

She hadn't really been happy with Kurt's decision. Or, as she had said it, "Hell to the no, I knew that this was a bad idea." Still, she had comforted him when he had broken down for what had to be the hundredth time and her look of concern and slight disapproval had softened into one of compassion.

Kurt just wished someone had been more vocal about their doubts of that relationship. Although he wasn't sure if he would have even listened to them… It was his fault, anyway. Even if Rachel had suggested it, he was the one who had listened to her, despite his doubts.

And, hell, he was lonely, and the one person he cared enough to date was just a friend – and piss angry at him now as well. Things just weren't going right. He hadn't reached out for William to hurt him. That was never his intention. He just hadn't known what else to do. And the idea of a relationship had, to a certain extent sounded appealing. It was just now he realized that being in one wasn't quite right if you didn't feel anything towards that person. And it was even worse if you played with the other person's feelings.

He felt a stab of guilt. That was exactly what he had done. And even without Nick and Jeff, he knew he would've been able to come to that conclusion at some point on his own. It just might've been a few more days. And now William wasn't even talking to him.

Bill had left the next day open with the potential of a rehearsal, and, sure enough, he had called one.

"William, please," Kurt said as Bill walked over to Ryan. "Just talk to me." William regarded him coldly.

"When I'm ready, Kurt, I can't just suddenly force myself to forgive you." Kurt felt as if he was going to go crazy. Blaine refused to even look at him. And Bill was noticing it as well.

"Look," he had told him, "do your thing, but after we're done with _RENT_. The first show is in three weeks, and I need everyone giving their all." He had walked away looking frustrated and muttering something about how this was why he didn't usually work with amateurs. Kurt felt like crying. He hadn't meant to upset everyone. He swallowed thickly and pushed his fingers though his hair.

"There is no way in hell that I'm going to kiss you. None." Kurt's head snapped over to see Santana yelling at Rachel. One of her hands waved in the air, punctuating each word, and the other lay on her hip. Apparently tension was running high among everyone today.

"As if I _want_ to kiss you! Its part of the show," Rachel said, looking annoyed. "Any _professional _–"

"As if you would know anything about being a professional actress; you post videos of yourself singing online and put glittery stickers next to your name." Santana rolled her eyes, and Bill stepped in, looking increasingly more frustrated.

"You two need to cut it off. We have enough problems as it is. And Berry's right."

"Oh, I see how it –"Santana began, but Bill glared at her. She snorted and walked away. "Whatever." She paused at the edge of the stage, inspecting her nails and leaning back against the wall. It took some convincing from Bill to get her to grudgingly join back in and rehearse.

Even then, the rest of rehearsals were stressful. Ryan seemed to be the only one really enjoying it since he smirked throughout the whole thing; glancing at Kurt and cocking his eyebrow at one point when he saw Kurt looking. He was frustrated and he just wanted all of this to be over. At least one of his friends needed to talk to him. The only one who opted was Jeff, who remained sorely confused by the whole situation.

Kurt had decided not to mention the cheating thing to anyone else. It had already caused such a mess, and it seemed like it didn't matter anyway; Blaine knew. And besides, it hadn't even been his business to overhear it. The last thing he wanted to do was go and spread it around.

When rehearsals ended, Kurt ran immediately to Blaine, not bothering to pick up his stuff first.

"I don't want to talk to you right now." Blaine's voice was gruff, and Kurt scowled. He hadn't even done anything wrong to Blaine, and Blaine had never been this bad before. Blaine shook slightly as he picked up his stuff and his knuckles turned white.

Blaine was half hidden by the shadows of the backdrops, next to the worn-out, red curtains. He remained stubbornly glaring down at his water bottle as if it would explode if he stared long enough.

"What did I do? At least tell me that." Blaine looked up at him with a panicked expression, and Kurt could've sworn he saw a trace of guilt. But then he set his jaw and the hazel eyes hardened.

"I can't talk about this. Not now. Not with you." He shoved past Kurt and started to sprint. Yet Kurt swore he heard a soft sob. But that was simply ridiculous.

Forlornly, he went back to get his own stuff and walked out slowly to the car, wishing he hadn't kissed William. That he had kept his mouth shut. That he had done at least something right.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? It's a bit different than any other chapter. I do want to promise you there's a good reason for Blaine's behavior, though. We'll just have to wait and see what it is.<strong>

**Today's question is a non-Glee related: What are your thoughts on Harry Potter ending? :(**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Author's Note**: Oh, man, I apologize for the wait. I've been busy and my beta's been busy. Then, on top of that, I've been limited down to some thirty minutes of computer time a day. I'm actually sneaking on now. *cough*

I don't know when the next chapter's going to be up. I started writing it, but just barely, and in a few days I'm going down to Florida with my friend. I'm going to be there for a little less than a week without a computer...

I'll do my best though! Thank you to my beta, and, of course, thank you to all of you for your amazing reviews!

Chapter Twelve

Kurt had decided to go out to the park that day. Wednesday was a teacher work day at Dalton, so he had gone home the previous night and slept there. It had turned out the workday applied to McKinley and a few other schools around the area as well, so before he had left, he had attempted to call William. Unfortunately it had gone to voicemail.

"Um, hi, William. This is clearly Kurt. I guess you still don't want to talk to me. I was just going to the park – um, the one where we first met. But I guess you don't want to go if you don't want to talk to me. Yeah. I'll just hang up again. I'm really, really sorry."

So, that hadn't gone well. What else was new? And he had walked around the park a few times. There had been a slight breeze, and the dirt on the path billowed up in clouds of dust as it was disturbed. Spring was already well in, and the trees were all green, the branches bending slightly with the wind. Kurt couldn't help but scowl as he saw a couple stretched out on the grass, bathing in the sun. They were holding hands and kissing. Why couldn't that be him? Him and –

Well, now wasn't really the time to think about Blaine.

Kurt went and sat down on the bench that he had first talked to William. The wind had settled down and it was getting closer to evening. His dad and Carole would be home in an hour or two. Kurt had just settled down when he heard someone behind him. "H – hey." He didn't even need to turn around to know that it was William. Kurt smiled for the first time in days.

"William." He turned as William slid down next to him. William's hand went up to his hand and he pulled off his grey beanie.

"I think I'm r – ready to talk." He shook his head and smiled slightly. "Damn stutter."

"Look, you know I've said it a million times, but you know I'm sorry, right?" William gave a shaky laugh.

"Yeah, I know. I knew. It's just I'd think of you and how badly I wanted you to just hug me and tell me that you cared or – "Kurt scooted closer, hoping to help William somehow. But William shook his head. "Don't. I won't be able to handle it. I like you, but I knew you never liked me. It just was easy to let myself get carried away."

"Oh?" Kurt didn't know what else to say.

"Kurt, the way you'd look at him – you never looked at me that way. And you let him hug you and hold your hand. I've never seen you that relaxed around anyone." _Doesn't matter; he seems to hate me now_. Kurt didn't say this aloud, though. It would've been selfish to try to bring up his problems in a conversation like this.

"Why did you let me kiss you, then?" Kurt asked. If William had known so plainly that there was no chance for him, why had he encouraged him.

"Are you telling me that if Blaine miraculously turned gay or bi or something and kissed you, and told you he liked you then you wouldn't just go with it? Even if you knew he was lying…" Kurt swallowed thickly. That was a fair point.

"I never should've done what I did."

"No, I absolutely agree – you shouldn't have. But you did." Kurt simply nodded. The way he said it was so matter of fact. "I know if you could change it you would." William gave a small smile.

"Why are you being so, understanding? Why aren't you telling me that I deserve to die or hitting me or-"

"Stop," William cut him off. "We weren't even together that long. You did the right thing in the end. You're human. You're going to make mistakes." Why did this all sound so similar to what Blaine had told him? "It doesn't mean that I don't feel… anything towards you, but I'll learn to cope. I don't want to lose your friendship."

"Some friend I turned out to be…" Kurt scoffed.

William deserved better than this. And while a part of Kurt was rejoicing that William was speaking to him again, finally accepting his apology, another part of him felt guiltier. Kurt knew he didn't deserve this. William had been too nice in every other aspect – of course he'd forgive him this easily. Worse yet, the hurt were still obvious when he looked at him, as was the want.

"You are. Even ignoring my feelings, you're the closest I've been to a person. I don't make friends easily, Kurt. And it would be a little too perfect if we each started dating the first other openly gay person we met."Kurt nodded. Nothing would justify what he did, but William was willing to look past it and try to make things like they'd been. Wasn't that what he had been wanting? Now Kurt just had to fix things with Blaine.

"William?"

"Yeah?"

"Whoever does date you will be truly lucky. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met." William gave a true, wide smile.

"Wait, really?" Kurt nodded. "Thank you Kurt!" He moved as if to hug Kurt, but paused midway, his eyes shifting down awkwardly. "Um, sorry."

"If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me," Kurt mumbled.

"I think you've apologized enough. By the way, the same goes to you; about the luckiness with dating thing."

"Thanks. It means a lot coming from you." William gave a sad smile.

"You know, it's a shame Blaine isn't into _you_." William's laughter wasn't completely genuine, and Kurt's smile slid off of his face. It was even more of a shame that Blaine refused to talk to him. "I – I'm sorry, that wasn't funny." William was suddenly flustered, afraid he had said the wrong thing.

"No, no, just Blaine and I aren't on the best terms right now," Kurt explained, not wanting William to feel any guilt for his lack of laughter.

"What happened?"

"I tried to tell Blaine about Faith, but he already knew. Guess it didn't matter… I didn't even get it out. I just mentioned the time he was crying, and he freaked out. He's avoiding me and when we're in the same room, he just pretends I'm not there." Kurt cut off, trying not to ramble. He had no right to complain really.

"Maybe he just needs time." Kurt nodded; he hoped so. But even with that going on, he couldn't help but smile. William had finally forgiven him.

KBKBKBK

Kurt whistled as he stuck the pan in the oven. He'd barely sat down when his dad walked in. Kurt smiled and waved. "You're in a better mood. Your walk helped, then?" his dad asked.

"Oh, yeah, I actually saw William there and we made up." His dad nodded, though Kurt could tell he was trying to think something through.

"William's that guy at Dalton who's – um – like you, right?" Kurt chuckled.

"No, that's Blaine. He's not gay though." _Unfortunately_. He didn't add that part aloud.

"Wait, I thought you two had a fight…" His dad couldn't keep up with it all.

"We had a fight too, but he's still angry at me." The thought put a slight damper on his mood. At least he knew Blaine usually only took a few days and came around on his own. He just hoped this time would be like the others.

"You okay, bud? You want to talk about it, or…" Kurt shook his head. It wasn't really the sort of thing either he or his dad would enjoy discussing. Surely enough, his dad let out a sigh and looked slightly relieved at Kurt's reaction. At that moment, Finn walked in.

"Hey, um, Puck's coming over. We're just gonna play some video games, but I was gonna order pizza." Before his dad could reply, Kurt jumped in, thinking of the pizza dough he had seen in the fridge.

"We actually have the ingredients to make it, if you want, Finn." Finn looked at Kurt in surprise before replying.

"Um, sure, I guess that's fine. What are you baking now?"

"Chocolate chili cake – I found a recipe that doesn't have a lot of fat or calories." Finn scrunched his nose.

"Do those two things even go together?" Kurt's dad excused himself and slid out of the room. Kurt wasn't even sure how he had ever had a crush on Finn as Finn stared blankly at him. They came from two different worlds.

"Next thing you're going to tell me you've never had chocolate rum soufflé." Kurt rolled his eyes but smiled.

"Can't you, like, get drunk off of that, though?" Kurt shook his head and sighed. Finn was helpless when it came to cooking.

"No, the alcohol evaporates out of it when it's cooked. But it still retains the taste. You know, like in tiramisu?" Finn's blank stare continued.  
>Never mind. What do you want on your pizza?"<p>

"Just pepperoni." He had figured Finn would say as much. There was a moment of silence, and then Finn slowly asked, "So, how are – uh – musicals going?" Finn shifted impatiently, and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Good. And you know you don't have to try to make small talk. I'm fine." Finn looked relieved. His phone buzzed.

"Oh, okay. And Puck's here." Kurt turned around as Finn opened the door and Puck walked in. He walked over to Kurt and smirked.

"How's life in boy-land?" Puck asked. "Perfect opportunity for you to get some, am I right?" He waggled his eyebrows and Kurt felt his face light up. Thankfully the alarm on the oven went off. Kurt went over, taking out the chocolate chili cake.

"That actually smells really good," Finn commented. Kurt pulled out a knife, cutting it carefully.

"You guys want to try a piece?" Kurt asked. Finn nodded and Puck shrugged.

"Why not?" Puck said, and Kurt got out three plates and forks, giving each of them a slice. It turned out rather well, Kurt decided. And as they walked out of the room, Finn and Puck both yelled something about how they liked it. Kurt ate his cake slice slowly, enjoying it with his eyes closed. Upon hearing footsteps, however, he turned around to see Puck snickering at him, holding two empty plates.

"Practicing your orgasm face for you next boyfriend?" Puck asked, cocking an eyebrow. Kurt scowled.

"Do you have to turn everything into something sexual?" Puck shrugged and dropped the plates in the sink.

"Hey, when you finish your slice, could you maybe start on the pizza?" Kurt nodded.

"Sure thing." He finished his slice quickly and went to the fridge, pulling out the cheese, the pizza dough, and the pepperoni. He grabbed some tomato sauce from a cupboard as Carole walked in.

"Something smells really good." Kurt smiled, getting everything on the counter.

"It's chocolate chili cake. Could you maybe take a slice up for my dad as well?" Carole nodded and grabbed two plates.

"Burt tells me you're having some trouble with people at school." Did everyone have to ask him about this?

"It's more of a misunderstanding." Well, no, it wasn't, but he didn't want to get into the details. "It's nothing too serious, though. It's happened before. It should resolve itself soon."

"Huh…" Carole didn't really seem to know what to say. "Well, it's nice of you to make the boys pizza."

"I find cooking to be relaxing." Kurt pressed the dough down to a pan, stretching it out slightly as he spoke.

"Well, I'm going upstairs. I hope you and your friend make up soon." She left with that, and Kurt continued working on the pizza. He whistled _Sante Fe_ to himself as he added the tomato sauce and sprinkled the cheese on. Things really were starting to calm down. And with William to talk to, things really could start to get better.

KBKBKBK

Kurt's dad drove him back to Dalton around eight, since there was school the next day. Of course, there were also rehearsals the next day. And, as on all school days, that meant he was going to be in the same car as Blaine. He simply hoped that wouldn't end up being too big of a problem. But even while that made him somewhat sad, he couldn't find it in himself to be too upset.

All he could think about was William forgiving him. Sure, William still needed time and space away from him, but they could talk again. They could be friends again. It was more than he could've asked for. Kurt walked down the hallways toward his dorm room, and was rounding the corner when he ran into someone.

"I'm sorry!" he said. But his eyes met a familiar pair of hazel ones. Apparently the confrontation with Blaine couldn't wait until tomorrow. Blaine looked utterly exhausted. There were bags under his eyes, and they were bloodshot. Kurt was almost sure he had been crying as well. His eyes were slightly puffy. And even his hair was curly and sticking up. Blaine clearly hadn't bothered to gel his hair down.

Blaine stared at him as if he wanted to say something. But after a moment or two of simply standing there, looking at each other, Kurt was the first one to break the silence. "You don't look so good. Are you okay, Blaine?" Blaine opened and shut his mouth before nodding. Kurt reached out, laying a hand on Blaine's shoulder, and Blaine squeaked, pulling back and suddenly bursting into life again.

"I – uh – Kurt… You're back." He ran his fingers through his hair, splaying it in even more directions.

"So it seems."

"I was looking for you earlier. Richard said you left yesterday to go home." Kurt nodded, though his heart seemed to fly a little. Blaine had gone looking for him. And judging by the fact that he hadn't run away from Kurt yet, he was ready to say something as well.

"Are you still mad at me?" Kurt asked tentatively.

"No, I – you didn't deserve that. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." Blaine's eyes glanced downward at his feet, and Kurt bit his lip nervously, reaching out again. This time Blaine didn't pull back. He looked up at Kurt with wide, fearful eyes.

"But why?" Kurt asked. Blaine simply shook his head.

"I can't." Kurt was tired of hearing that phrase. Every time something like this happened, Blaine said that he couldn't, and Kurt let him. Well, he was tired of letting him.

"Look, Blaine, you can't keep doing this. I don't know whether I can handle it. You act like I'm your best friend one moment, and then the next you're shoving me away." Kurt bit his lip again as Blaine's hand reached up, lying on top of his.

"I'll tell you at some point, but I can't do it now. I'm sorry. I know this is shitty, and you don't deserve it, but I need to work some things out on my own." He squeezed Kurt's hand, and his eyes closed. "I promise I'll tell you. Just give me time." He leaned forward, and their foreheads pressed together. Kurt pressed back against the wall, his heart thudding against his chest. Blaine looked as if he was about to kiss him.

"Blaine…" Kurt muttered; his voice breathy and shaking. He couldn't handle this. Blaine was so close to him after days of ignoring and glaring at him. This was what he had been talking about. And he couldn't fall back into its pattern… as much as he wanted to.

Blaine made a small whimpering sound as he leaned into Kurt, but Kurt slid away, wishing he could just stay there and hug Blaine. "No, Blaine, _I_ can't." Kurt said, as Blaine's eyes shot open. Blaine looked at the space between them as if he couldn't believe that Kurt had actually pulled away from him. Hell, Kurt himself couldn't believe he had done that. But it was necessary.

He pressed back against the other brick wall, thankful that the hallways were empty and that no one was about to see this. "What do you mean?" Blaine asked, looking heartbroken. "Why can't –"He cut off and shook his head. His hand went up again, running through his hair.

"This is exactly what I was saying. I can't have you yelling at me for a few days and then just run back into my arms, quite literally. And one moment you're there, telling me to have courage and holding my hand, and then the next you're shoving me away. I don't know what to think or do. I want you as my friend so badly, but I can't handle this." _Because every time you come back I just wish you could say that you feel the same way about me that I feel about you_…

Blaine looked shocked. After all, Kurt hadn't ever said anything like this before. He had just bottled it up. And as much as he wanted to hold Blaine, it was getting painful, and his emotions were going insane. He had hurt William because of this mess. He couldn't just let things go up and down. Kurt knew he had to say something. But seeing Blaine in front of him, looking like he was falling apart made it so hard.

"I never meant to hurt you," Blaine choked out.

"I know. But you have. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"It's not you. I just –"Kurt laughed bitterly, and Blaine stopped talking, looking surprised. It was like they were a couple bickering. _It's not you; it's me._ He couldn't do this. Until Blaine could act normally, he needed a break. Kurt couldn't believe these thoughts were his own. He had been dying for Blaine to come running back to him and apologizing, and yet here he was, shoving that apology away. Blaine's eyes started to water up, and Kurt felt his stomach churn.

"No. I don't want to do this. I can't. I'll talk to you tomorrow when you've calmed down, but I just can't do this now. Please. You've ran away from me, two to three times now, and refused to explain anything. The least you can do is let me have this." He wasn't even fully sure what he was saying. All Kurt knew was that all the good feelings he had from seeing William earlier had vanished.

"I understand." Blaine said; his voice small. "Kurt, I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry. I'm just confused. I just need to sort things out. But give me some time and I'll explain everything. You've gone through so much. You don't deserve this too. You're right." Blaine set his jaw and gave Kurt a determined sort of look.

"Good night," Kurt said, sighing and tugging at his scarf.

"Good night," Blaine said as well, walking past. Kurt waited until Blaine's footsteps faded until he slid down the wall. He leaned his head on his knees and wrapped his arms around his legs. He didn't feel like he was going to cry; he simply felt drained. All he wanted was for this to end. He wanted there to be no more of this. He wanted things to be as simple as when he had first met Blaine.

Sure, he had liked him back then, but the most dramatic thing was Nick and Jeff's light teasing. Now everything revolved around fights and romance. _Welcome to high school_… That had been true to McKinley, but never for him.

After another few minutes, he picked himself up and walked towards his room, managing to plaster a tired sort of smile on his face. Richard wasn't in the room when he got there, and Kurt looked over at the clock. It was almost nine. Yet suddenly he felt tired, and he had no desire to face him either. As far as he knew, Richard had no idea that he knew, but still, Kurt didn't know how much more he could handle. Besides, his head was starting to hurt.

After brushing his teeth and getting into his pajamas, Kurt slipped under the covers. It took a moment or two for him to adjust himself completely. Then, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think?<strong>

**Also: What's a song you want to see a character (any one, not just Kurt and Blaine) sing on Glee sing next season? :)**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Author's Note**: This is unbeta'd. I'm leaving for FL with a friend later today, and _I won't be able to update until the first week of August._ I'm going to have no internet connection, and whatnot. But I thought you guys deserved one more chapter before I disappeared for a while. But I just finished it, so my beta doesn't really have time to beta it, sadly. I'll be posting the beta'd version when I get back.

In any case, I hope you enjoy it. I promise I'll get back to the RENT bit soon as well. I just have a lot to work in.

And I'M DREADFULLY SORRY FOR NOT REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS THIS CHAPTER. I'm just leaving in two hours, and I simply don't have time! I'll do it when I get back, I promise!

Chapter Thirteen

Kurt woke up at five and couldn't fall back asleep. He lay there for another half hour desperately willing his mind to drift off before finally declaring defeat and getting up. He turned off his alarm so that it wouldn't disturb Richard and go off later.

Kurt supposed his was good. He hadn't had a chance to take a shower yesterday, and now he had plenty of time. So, he slipped out of the room after grabbing his Dalton uniform and some boxers, and Kurt went to the bathroom. In the evening there was usually at least one person in there as well, and it was a bit odd seeing it this empty. Still, it was nice. He didn't want to run into anyone yet. And it wasn't as if he was particularly good at hiding his bad moods. Nick and Jeff liked to tease him about his bitch face – as they called it – sometimes, and Kurt was sure they'd want to know what was wrong.

Turning on the hot water, Kurt closed his eyes, feeling his muscles relax. There was something soothing about being all along. His breathing got deeper, and he simply focused on it washing over him. Eventually he needed to shampoo and condition, but long after the bubbles had gone away, he stood there. In fact, it wasn't until his skin threatened to start to get prune-ish that he finally shut off the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off.

He went to the mirror, towel wrapped around his waist. It took some five minutes to blow-dry his hair and another few to moisturize, but the familiarity of the process made his mind shut down completely, and made him feel at ease. Something so repetitive just helped soothe him. And by the time he was dressed, he was ready to face the day.

Still, he figured he might as well go back to his room for a little while before heading out to the cafeteria and main hall for breakfast. When he pulled into the room, somewhere around six fifteen, Richard was still fast asleep. And it was early enough that Kurt had time to simply sleep as well. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to, but he still slipped on top of his bed and curled up, shutting his eyes.

His breathing became deeper, and his mind started to zone out. And before he knew it, Kurt was floating somewhere between dreams and reality. Of course, it didn't take long before he was being shaken awake as well. "C'mon, it's time to get up." The voice was slowly bringing him back to consciousness.

"Don't want to," he grumbled in response, groaning. He felt like he could just keep on lying there.

"Kurt, you're going to need to go to breakfast soon. Up and at them." Richard sat down next to him, and Kurt opened his eyes and pulled himself pulled himself up as well. His hands immediately went up to his hair, and as he groggily looked at Richard, he smoothed down any stray hairs.

"What time is it?"

"It's only six." That meant they had a full hour and a half until school started. Kurt scowled, slightly annoyed that Richard had woke him up this early.

"It takes me fifteen minutes to eat breakfast and brush my teeth," he mumbled, wishing he could just go back to sleep. Richard bit his lip and looked nervously at Kurt before speaking.

"Faith told me you knew." It was too early for this kind of a talk, wasn't it?

"You mean about you two cheating?" Kurt asked, scoffing.

"Yeah, about us… cheating." He gave a look as if he'd swallowed something bitter when he said it. But, really, what else was it? Maybe it was just from the guilt. That had to be it, Kurt figured.

"Why are you even talking about this with me?" Kurt asked. After all, it wasn't as if he and Richard had ever really been close.

"Look, we may not be friends, but I don't want you to hate me. I gave you a bad enough impression when we first met. But you are nice, and you're still a Warbler and my roommate. I don't want you leaving with hard feelings or horrible thoughts about me. This is just a mess of a situation." He put his head in his hands and sighed, closing his eyes. Kurt didn't even know what to really say to that.

"Well, it's just hard for me as Blaine's friend…"

"This is all my fault."

"Well, no," Kurt replied, though, certainly some of the fault did fall on him.

"We should've been more careful," Richard muttered. "I never should've brought Faith back to my room." But that wasn't what Kurt had meant at all.

"Oh, so you two could just keep on cheating behind Blaine's back without anyone finding out?" He asked, sounding disgusted. "I don't know how Blaine ever forgave you." Richard's look changed to one of annoyance.

"Kurt, you don't know everything about it. I'd keep your judgments to yourself until you do." His sounded a bit snippy, but he shook his head. "Sorry."

"No, don't apologize. Just enlighten me. What is this mysterious thing that I don't know that's apparently just going to change my mind and put things in this _whole_ new perspective?"

"I can't…" Kurt leapt off of the bed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Is that all anyone here can say? 'I'm sorry. I _can't_.' I'm so sick of that phrase." He was tired of this. Apparently no one wanted to tell him anything. They just pulled him in, and then when they found out that he knew, they just told him to wait.

"It's not for me to tell! Blaine needs to do it." Kurt's fingers ran through his hair, and he was sure that he was ruining it, letting it splay in every which direction. Yet he couldn't care less. He just wanted to leave and find a place alone, like earlier. Somewhere where everyone wouldn't bring up a topic they couldn't discuss…

"Well, he doesn't seem to want to do it. Nobody does. Everyone just tells me that I don't understand. How can I if no one wants to tell me?" Looking in the mirror, he sighed in disgust. His hair was indeed strewn everywhere, and he looked like a wreck. His face was blotchy red, as it tended to get when he was angry, and he turned away, his fists clenching.

"Woah, I didn't mean to –" Richard looked at him hopelessly, obviously afraid of Kurt's reaction. "You're kind of overreacting. I'm sure Blaine will tell you at some point."

"Oh, at some point – thanks. It's been 'some point' for weeks now," he spat out, pacing back and forth across their tiny room. And of course Richard would think he was overreacting. Kurt didn't even know anymore why he had bothered to just endure it all quietly.

"Give Blaine another few days. He's getting there. I promise." Like hell Blaine was. Kurt just ran his fingers through his hair one more time and walked towards the door.

"I'm going to go eat breakfast. Bye."

"But Kurt –" Kurt didn't allowed Richard to say whatever excuse he was going to get out. Instead he slammed the door behind him and walked down the hallways.

Glancing down at his watch, he realized a full twenty minutes had passed since Richard had woke him up. That meant that some people would already be at breakfast. Dammit. All he wanted was to be alone. Kurt felt his eyes sting as tears threatened to break through.

"Oh, hey, Kurtsie." He didn't need to look behind him to know that it was Jeff. Of course, he wasn't even going to get a little break from others. Kurt bit down on his lip, but the tears were just as stubborn. He shook and buried his head as they managed to escape.

"Oh my God, Kurt, are you alright?" There was the sound of footsteps speeding up behind him, and Kurt felt two pairs of arms pull him into a hug. "Who do we need to beat up?" Nick asked. Kurt couldn't help but laugh a little through his tears. It was typical for them to start out like that before even asking what was wrong.

"It must be bad. Your hair is messy." They pulled back and turned him around, looking at him solemnly. It was almost unusual to see them like this, without a smile. But Kurt simply shook his head.

"Here, let's go back to our room," Nick said, putting a hand on his back and steering him towards it. He let them move him, feeling too tired and annoyed with everything to try and protest. It wouldn't do him any good, anyway, he was sure. Now that they had seen him crying, they were going to be determined to find out what exactly was wrong. But, then again, there was nothing that the two of them could do to fix it.

And, besides, how the hell was he going to explain this all to them? He couldn't.

Yet just as they were approaching their room, Kurt heard a voice he didn't want to hear. Not yet. "Kurt!" Blaine. Who else but Blaine Anderson would find a way to sneak back into his life at the worst moment? "What happened?" Blaine asked, immediately running up, like Nick and Jeff had, concern plastered on his face.

"Go away," Kurt managed to hiss out, his stomach clenching. There was no way in hell he'd be able to down breakfast at this point.

"I – Kurt?" The hurt was obviously there, and Kurt swallowed thickly. He couldn't just throw himself back into Blaine's arms. And Blaine was holding his arms as if he just wanted to press Kurt against him, hug him and say everything was going to be alright. He couldn't back down from what he said yesterday.

"If you can't tell me, then I'm not ready." Jeff and Nick looked confused, but they didn't say anything, surely afraid to interrupt whatever was going on. Blaine's mouth opened and closed, and he shook his head, looking sadly away.

"I'm sorry." He shook for a moment and then sprinted away. Kurt had noticed that Blaine looked, though not quite as bad as yesterday, still exhausted. And Blaine looked as if he could do with a hug as well. But now wasn't the time, and Kurt couldn't be the one to give it to him. He couldn't let Blaine curl against him, his head nuzzled in his neck. But his heart ached with the thought, with the memory of it there, resting against him and Blaine's hand firmly holding his.

Funnily enough, it's was Blaine's text that came to mind. "Courage." That was exactly what he needed right now. Kurt reached up with his arm and wiped away his tears on his sleeve, sniffling. Jeff had opened the door, and ushered Kurt in, handing him a tissue.

"Sit," Jeff instructed, and Kurt sighed, his breath starting to steady. He just needed courage. There was no need to have a breakdown. _I can't_. He shook a little as those words echoed around in his head, but his resolve remained strong; no more tears fell.

"So, what exactly happened?" Nick asked tentatively. "What's with you and Blaine?" Kurt opened his mouth, almost saying that he couldn't tell them. But after this whole mess that seemed laughable. No, it wasn't completely his right to tell them, but he had known them long enough. They weren't the types of people who would go blabbing it to everyone they knew.

"As you know, I dated William."

"Yeah, we remember," Jeff said, giving Nick a nervous glace.

"But what does this have to do with this whole mess?" Nick added, tilting his head to one side.

"Well, Blaine helped me out after that. And he was kind of giving me this pep talk and telling me to have courage. After all, I felt like hell because of William. I never meant to hurt him…" Kurt shook his head. William had somehow found it in himself to forgive him; at least that part was over.

"Um, alright. Continue."

"And he was talking about how you shouldn't hide secrets," Kurt said, wishing he had done something different back then. "And, um, I was hiding a secret from him."

"Oh, God, you didn't tell him that you like him?" Nick asked, looking horrified at the thought. Kurt shook his head, and he could tell the two of them relaxed.

"Faith's cheating on Blaine. Was. It's not my business to tell you, but –"

"What!" Jeff didn't even let Kurt finish. "She's – But they've been together for ages. How could she? With whom?" Kurt sighed, a wave of exhaustion hitting him. He rubbed his eyes before responding.

"Richard."

"As in _our_ Richard? As in the Richard you're rooming with?" Kurt nodded. "That little…" He looked angry, and Kurt realized he had to continue before they threw some kind of a fit over this. Not that he could blame them; he had been just as upset to find out.

"Well, I decided to tell Blaine…" Kurt slowly explained the rest of the story, and Nick and Jeff stopped him only occasionally, asking him how he knew that Faith and Richard were cheating or how certain things tied together. But, in the end, they just looked kind of horrified.

"So, he just shoved you away? And he… knows?" Kurt nodded, and Nick scowled.

"I don't understand. Why would Blaine do that to you?" Jeff asked.

"I don't know. Like I said, he won't tell me. Hopefully he will soon. Whatever it is, he'd better have a damn good reason. I'm so tired of being thrown about. I just feel… drained. I don't even know how I feel anymore. I want him so badly, but now I just can't." There was a momentary silence, where Nick and Jeff said nothing, but looked at him worriedly.

Finally, Nick broke it. "I think it's time for breakfast."

KBKBKBK

Most of the day went by uncomfortably. He didn't fail to notice Blaine staring at him in the classes they had together. At least Jeff and Nick managed to pull off a decent sort of look of innocence. Blaine had always looked at them a few times worriedly, namely during lunch, but they pretended as if they didn't know, and cheerily waved at him. Somehow they managed the same for Richard as well.

In any case, at least it wasn't as bad as the morning had been. The Warblers met for rehearsals after school ended. Of course, the people in _RENT_ couldn't be there for the whole time, and it was more casual now, in any case. With a few of their people, most importantly Blaine, gone for rehearsals so often, they had decided that it was probably best not to compete this year. Next year would have to do…

In an attempt to lift to mood, which everyone could tell was tense, Wes suggested they practice Taio Cruz's _Break Your Heart_. After all, there was something fun in doing an R & B, rap sort of song. But the content didn't seem fitting. Again, Kurt noticed the way Blaine was looking at him while singing. And, of course, there was ride to look forward to. Or, well, not really look forward to…

And sure enough, it was tense. Nobody really said anything, and Blaine eventually turned up the music loud enough so that they couldn't. Kurt wished things could just go back to the way they were – when his crush was innocent and Blaine treated him with nothing but a cheerful, dorky attitude. But of course it couldn't.

Practice itself wasn't half that bad. Luckily he ended up with William practicing _You Okay, Honey?_ It was nice, and the two of them laughed through it a bit. It was nice taking a break from it all. Though Kurt didn't fail to mention the blush that did light up William's cheeks the first time he got to the line, "You're cute when you blush." Maybe it was all part of the act, but something told Kurt it was more than that. After all, William was upfront about the fact that he still had feelings for him.

Unfortunately, practice didn't seem to go so well for Blaine. He was yelled at a few times by Bill, who was telling him he wasn't putting enough emotions into whatever song it was he was practicing with Faith. And he noticed that several times she took him to the side and whispered seemingly angrily at him.

As for Santana and Rachel, they still were tense. Rachel managed to yell at her a few times over her, as she called it, "unprofessional behavior", and Santana usually seemed to have a snippy comeback. What else was new? But, in a way, Kurt didn't mind. While it was frustrating Bill and occasionally did intrude on others' practicing, it reminded him of life in McKinley. And, yes, he did miss it. For all the bullying, it still had been his home.

When rehearsals were finally over, he started to head towards Blaine, but William stopped him.

"Hey, there," William said, running his hands through his hair and grabbing his beanie. He slipped it on, and Kurt couldn't help but shake his head. It was like his trademark the way he wore it constantly.

"Hey yourself."

"I was thinking maybe we could hang out. It's only six. I mean, if you want." How could he say no? Kurt nodded. It'd be nice to be able to relax for a little bit.

"Sounds good to me. Anywhere specific you wanted to go?" Kurt asked.

"I dunno. I'm kind of hungry. McDonald's?" Kurt's nose scrunched up at the thought. That was about as unhealthy and caloric as it got. "Oh, right, I forgot," William said, noticing Kurt's expression and laughing.

"How about Panera?"

"That works for me!" William slipped his hands in his pockets and smiled at him.

"Hey, are you coming?" Kurt turned his head to see Blaine walking up to him. "We're going to leave now, so…" He shifted from foot to foot, looking nervously at Kurt.

"I'm actually heading out with William, but thanks." Blaine's face fell slightly.

"Oh. I just was going to tell you – uh, never mind." It was as if his heart had skipped to his throat for a moment. Kurt knew it wouldn't be fair to William if he abandoned their newly made plans because of his selfish desire to hear what Blaine had to say. So, instead, he just gave Blaine a sympathetic sort of smile.

"Sorry. It can wait 'til tomorrow, though, right?" But what was this massive secret? Part of him wanted Blaine to say no, tell him it was urgent and drag him away. But then he glanced over at William whose head was hanging as he stared down at his shoes, his cheeks flushed. "I've kind of got plans," Kurt said, scooting over so that he nudged William. William's eyes snapped up, and a smile slowly spread on his face. There, that was better.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Blaine said distractedly. "See you later, Kurt." Then, to Kurt's surprise, he turned and looked at William, offering him a smile as well. "Maybe you too, William. We should all hang out sometime." With that, he sprinted back, leading away to his car. Kurt felt himself relax. Hell, that hadn't even been that bad. True, it had been a little awkward, but still…

"So, you okay with Panera still?" William finally asked, and Kurt nodded, and he followed William outside to his car.

It was nice that as the summer got closer, the days got longer, Kurt couldn't help but think. One thing Kurt found depressing about the winter and even the spring was that it got dark out far too early. But now the sun was just starting to set, and the sky was a nice shade of pink.

They didn't really say anything on their walk back to the car, but silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was only when they started driving and Kurt had closed his eyes that William spoke again. "You okay? You're being awfully quiet."

"Yeah, I'm just kind of exhausted. I couldn't sleep last night. Actually, I woke up at five."

"But you really only have trouble sleeping when you're stressed." He flushed before adding, "So, you said once. Um, did something happen?" Kurt was surprised that William even remembered that. Although, actually, William seemed to remember a lot of the little things about him. Honestly, sometimes Kurt couldn't help but think that things would be easier if he just liked him back.

"Blaine and I had a bit of a fight." He winced, feeling bad that he was bringing this up with William. "We don't have to talk about this," he added.

"No, it's fine. And I thought you guys already were in a fight. At least you're on speaking terms now, right?"

"Actually, we weren't until when you just saw," Kurt explained. "The thing is I was the one to tell him to back off this time." Even though his guilt was now playing with him, the words poured out. Somehow it was just easy to talk with William.

"Why? Did he do anything to hurt you?" Kurt noticed that William's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"No. Well, not intentionally. The thing is that he keeps on alternating between hugging me and refusing to talk to me. I can't handle it anymore. I need some sort of consistency." William's brow scrunched up.

"Explain…"

"Every time I have a problem, he's just been there, and he's hugged me and held my hand and told me it's going to be alright. And, I can't help it. It just feels… nice." He blushed and glanced over at William. "Just tell me if you start to get uncomfortable, alright?"

"Sure thing. I want to help you, Kurt. Just let it out." He slowed down at a red light and turned towards Kurt, smiling.

"Thank you." Kurt felt an urge to hug him, although, considering William was still driving, he figured that wouldn't be too wise. William's eyes went back to the road just as the traffic light turned green.

"But continue."

"Anyway, sometimes I'll say things, and I'm not even sure what triggers it, but he gets angry and refuses to talk to me. And according to him, there's some reason. He just says he can't tell me yet. Which is all fine, but I can't deal with him pretending we're best friends one moment and then giving me the silent treatment the next."

"That's… understandable. I mean, he shouldn't be playing with your emotions like that." Kurt nodded and slid down in the seat.

"And I think he's the only person left in Lima and Westerville that even doesn't know that I like him. I don't know whether that's worse or better." They slowed down as they pulled into the parking lot. They unbuckled themselves, and William reached out and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder. He looked unsure.

"You have every right to be upset with him. But maybe he's coming around. It sounded like it at the theatre. I'm sorry I can't help more." He looked so concerned and honestly apologetic. It wasn't even his fault, and – hell – he probably wasn't thrilled talking about it. Yet here he was. Kurt threw his arms around William, leaning forward awkwardly.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," he muttered, squeezing tightly. It took a moment to notice that William had frozen underneath him. He pulled away.

"Yeah, that might be – um – Let's just wait a while until you try hugging me again," William said, his voice shaky. "But, honestly Kurt, it's no problem. I want us to be friends." Kurt nodded, wondering how he could've been so lucky to have a friend like William. "Now, c'mon, let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts?<strong>

**Also: What do you want to see in season four? I know that's a while ahead, but since we know that some of the cast is graduating and some isn't... Would you rather see a spin-off or just a continuation where they stay in Lima?**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Author's Note**: I'm still working on replying to reviews from the last two chapters, so if I haven't replied to yours, I PROMISE I WILL TOMORROW! I just am being sent to bed, and I wanted to give you guys a proper update. I'd like to thank my lovely beta for getting back to me so quickly. Also, I want to thank all of you because your support and love is just so amazing. Okay, that's enough of my cheesy speech.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I'll do my best. There's something rather... interesting that's going to happen in the next chapter.

Chapter Fourteen

Kurt woke up after the first night of peaceful rest in a while. He and William had hung out way past Dalton's curfew, and Kurt had been relieved to find the doors unlocked. In fact, they had been lost in conversation until one of the workers had told them that it was closing, and even though it had already been a bit past ten, they had continued talking in the car for another two hours.

But William had done a good job in taking his mind off of everything. Kurt didn't know when the last time he had laughed that hard was. Somehow everything seemed funnier with him, and his stomach had hurt from laughing. And it had been more than good just to relax.

Today, to top things off, Blaine was going to tell him whatever this secret was. Finally, things were starting to work out. And he couldn't wait to talk to Blaine. As much as he hated admitting it, he missed him, even if it hadn't been more than a few days. Still, he wasn't sure if he could handle an overly affectionate Blaine, even with the promise of no sudden backlash.

Now, he just had to figure out when he'd find Blaine. Kurt had gotten ready as quickly as possible, hoping he'd run into Blaine. But as he pulled himself down the hallways to the breakfast hall, he was feeling more and more like it'd take the entire day to talk to Blaine. The thought alone made him feel impatient. Sitting down, he nibbled on his cream cheese bagel. Kurt glanced around at everyone ahead of him, and Blaine was nowhere in sight.

"Boo." It was barely a whisper, but it still made Kurt jump. His glass of fat-free milk teetered dangerously, threatening to fall. Blaine's hand reached around and caught it, steadying it. Kurt simply stared at him for a moment, his heart still pounding from the recent scare. "How about we go somewhere less… public," Blaine suggested quietly, glancing around at the people.

"Sure, sounds good." Hell, anything would sound good right now just as long as Blaine was talking to him. Kurt stood up, grabbed his bagel from his plate and followed Blaine. By the time they stopped back a classroom, Kurt had finished it, and he threw his napkin in a trashcan. Blaine stuck his head in the room, glancing around and making sure it was truly empty. When he had, he snuck in, shutting the door behind them and sliding into a desk. Kurt followed suite and stared at Blaine, waiting for him to explain.

"Can I just say everything before you interrupt anything?" Well, that wasn't a promising start.

"Okay…"

"I'm not ready to tell you why I've been acting like this yet." Kurt was about to say something when Blaine gave him an angry sort of look. Though he didn't say anything, Kurt scowled. What was the point of this then?

"Go on," Kurt said, perhaps slightly gruffly.

"I was thinking about what you said – you know – about me hugging you and then pushing you away. I suppose I have been. But I'm so afraid, Kurt." Kurt felt his throat tighten. Blaine honestly did look small and afraid whenever his eyes widened that way. "I really want to tell you, though, and if you give me time, I will. But if you give me one more chance, I promise I won't hurt you like that again. Please…"

Kurt sat there, unsure what to say or do. Blaine was sincere – that much was obvious. And it wasn't as if he didn't want them to be back to normal again, but was that even possible at this point? Whatever Blaine was hiding, it was obviously big enough for him to feel that it will threaten their friendship. Or, so it seemed if this fear was anything to go off of. "Just say something," Blaine pleaded, breaking the silence.

"Yes," Kurt finally said after a moment.

"Yes what?" He sounded like he didn't want Kurt to elaborate.

"Yes, I'll give you another chance, silly," he said, smiling and getting up. Despite his better judgment, he leaned forward against Blaine, closing his eyes and smiling at the familiar feel of Blaine's arms wrapped around him. For a moment, they sat there, Blaine's face buried in his shoulder, both of them silent. Then, without another word, they pulled away and looked at each other. All the tension from the last while seemed to just evaporate instantaneously.

"Oh, God, I don't think I can do Monsieur Black's assignment," Blaine said, looking defeated.

"Le Petit Prince isn't half that bad, you know," Kurt replied, grinning. They were supposed to slowly read their way through the book. There was going to be a test on it next week. Kurt had read the book before, in French once and multiple times in English, so he wasn't too concerned.

"But it's a whole book."

"Be thankful it's not something like Camus," Kurt muttered, shuddering. They had almost been forced to read L'Étranger instead. Something told Kurt existentialism would not be his thing. Besides, he had a soft spot for the love story in The Little Prince. And the ability to interpret the book as you wished – on a more childish level or something symbolic – was a nice sort of duality.

"I actually kind of want to read that," Blaine admitted. "Don't get me wrong – I'm sure if I could concentrate long enough, I would love Saint-Exupéry's book as well. But I'm going to have a problem with both of them. I mean, I'm fine with speaking French, and I like it… But a whole book's a lot to manage on your own!" Kurt shrugged. But, then again, he had an odd love for French.

There was a moment where neither of them said anything, and then Blaine asked suddenly, "Have you read _No Exit_?" The name sounded familiar, but Kurt was fairly sure he hadn't.

"I don't think so…"

"It's by Sartre." No, then he hadn't. It was just more existentialist literature.

"Well, it's kind of funny. I think you'd like it. It says that hell is other people."

"It speaks the truth," Kurt muttered thinking back to Karofsky and Azimio. Hell, even people who cared about him put him through hell sometimes. People like Blaine… He shook his head, trying to clear it of such thoughts. Everything was fine with Blaine now. They were back to friends, as it should be.

He jumped as Blaine's hand lay on top of his. He'd forgotten how it felt – how it made his heart go all jittery. His eyes trailed down to it, but he didn't move away. That was how it should be, but as more than just friends, he couldn't help but think. And what if Blaine broke his promise? Kurt wasn't sure he could stand it if he did. What made this time different than any other? Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought, but he pushed them back before Blaine could see.

Blaine had promised. And this time he knew that he had hurt Kurt. _That_ was what made it different. Blaine wouldn't hurt him again. He looked up and trembled slightly as he met Blaine's eyes. They were wide and filled with something close to admiration and affection. "You alright?" He asked, pulling Kurt closer.

"Of course" Kurt's voice wavered slightly, but if Blaine noticed, he didn't bother commenting. For a moment they sat there, Blaine's arm wrapped around his side. Kurt tried to calm himself, slow down his heart and take steadier breaths, but the feel of them so close after such a rough fight was almost unbearable. He had missed it so much.

"Thank you," Blaine murmured, his breath tickling Kurt's neck.

"For what?"

"For giving me another chance" There was a light squeeze, and they reverted back to their comfortable silence, each pulled into their own thoughts.

KBKBKBK

"I told you he just needed more time," William said, smiling.

"Yeah, I'm glad. I just wish I knew what it was that he can't tell me."

"If you knew, then it wouldn't be the one that he couldn't tell you." Kurt rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly back.

"Thank you, William, I didn't realize."

"I'm just saying." Kurt shifted and looked around.

"Aren't we supposed to be practicing?" Not that he really felt like practicing. It seemed like other people didn't really want to either. A lot of them weakly made some attempts between conversations; though Blaine was practicing, now that Kurt looked. He was sitting down, guitar in hands, strumming quietly and singing _One Song, Glory_.

"Probably, I just really want to see Santana and Ryan at it for _Tango Maureen_. They're going to do it in a bit." That was true. Bill had made them go through the entire script pretty much at this point. That was the only song left to do. Ryan had been sick the day they were supposed to do it, and Bill had put it off multiple times since.

Not as if Kurt could blame him. When the two were even a few feet apart, there seemed to be some sort of commotion. He could only imagine that this song would have some… tension. But perhaps that was fitting for the song in any case. It was getting late now, though. The first show was in two and a half weeks, and the first dress rehearsal, in a week and a half.

"Alright," Bill said, walking out and clapping his hands. He approached Ryan cautiously, calling Santana over. She didn't look too pleased.

"And the games begin," William whispered beside him, grinning. Kurt chuckled quietly and continued watching them.

"You'd better watch it, Jacobs," Santana snapped as she walked over, her eyes narrowed.

"Terrified, really," Ryan replied.

"It's like they act like that just for show," William commented again.

"Santana likes the attention, I think. She was like that in New Directions too. But, hey, she's upfront about everything."

"Definitely."

"Come on, you two. At least _try_ to get along," Bill said, sounded frustrated and backing off. The two of them seemed to ignore him, and they paced back and forth, glaring at each other.

"The samples won't delay. But the cables –"she started. At least the animosity could pass of as superb acting. Ryan pretended his was fiddling and lifting imaginary cables as he sang, and Santana lifted an imaginary microphone.

"Test one, two, three…"

They were practically made for the song. The way Ryan's voice had a slight condescending lilt to it and the way Santana responded angrily. Kurt couldn't help but notice that everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch. They were all pointing at them and laughing quietly, talking amongst each other.

"She cheated!" They gripped each other tightly as they moved, attempting to tango. Their eyes were locked, and they sneered at each other as they sang.

"But the end it will come –"Their singing was interrupted as Santana cut off, jumping backwards.

"You stepped on me," she said, her hands falling to her hips.

"Well, if your foot had been in the right place –"

"Oh, my foot was in the right place. You just don't know how to dance." Ryan looked as if he was about to retort, despite the fact that Santana stepped forward threateningly, but Bill jumped in between them.

"Okay, that was really good. But maybe next time you can try not to kill each other."

"It's just difficult for someone like me to have to deal with amateurs," Ryan said, and Santana practically growled. A few people sprinted forward to pull her back as she started yelling at him in Spanish.

"Well, this is going well," William muttered, shaking his head. Bill sighed angrily.

"Don't." He reached out and pushed Ryan back slightly as he scowled and started to step towards Santana. "Just drop it." Bill threw a glance between the two of them, mouthed "hopeless", and walked away, rubbing at his temples.

"So," Kurt said, finally turning away as Santana stomped off, throwing her hands up and muttering some more to herself, "that was fun."

KBKBKBK

Rachel had come over towards the end of practice and suggested that the two of them hang out. Kurt had agreed, finding that he surprisingly enjoyed Rachel's company. When she wasn't trying to act like she was better than everyone else and forcing her ideas down their throats – as she sometimes had at McKinley, she was nice to talk to.

So, they had gone back to her house – her dads weren't home – and went up to her room. They had been sitting on the floor rather silently, though. Kurt looked around the room before attempting to start a conversation. The first thing that came to mind was Rachel's boyfriend.

"So, how are things with you and –" Kurt couldn't remember his name. It started with a J, didn't it? Jacob? No. Jeremy? No, that wasn't it either. Jesse – that was it! "Jesse?" Rachel's face fell, and Kurt immediately regretted asking the question.

"We did a music video. And I did one for _Run, Joey, Run_." Kurt nodded. "But I kind of –", she paused, grimacing, "I triple-casted him, Puck, and Finn." He could see that backfiring. "He didn't appreciate it." She paused before defensively adding, "I just couldn't help it. I live off of attention. It's not like I wanted to hurt him. I thought he'd understand. It's not like I was trying to hurt him." She looked distressed.

"I'm sorry." He didn't really know what to say. It wasn't as if he could really give her a proper relationship advice; the only one he had hadn't really been all that good of an example.

"No, it's okay. Well, it's not. Not really." She let out a frustrated sound, and her face collapsed in her hands. "He won't even talk to me."

"Oh." Well, that wasn't very nice of him. "Have you tried to talk things out?" She shook her head.

"I mean, I tried to explain, but he said that it was different since we were dating. He said he'd understand if we were just stars." She looked sad for a moment, but her jaw set and she looked up again, with a determined look. "Maybe we can talk about you? Or something else?"

"Of course" He understood that talking about that hurt.

"So, how are you? I see you're talking again with Blaine and William." Kurt nodded.

"Yeah, things finally worked out there." He smiled. At least he didn't have a romantic crisis to talk about. True, he wasn't with Blaine, but that would never happen, so it wasn't as if that counted. They were friends, and things were back to as they were.

"I'm really sorry about trying to push you two together – William and you, I mean. I wasn't thinking. I guess it's just that the _idea_ of a relationship seemed appealing. I thought it might work. I wanted you to be happy. I didn't realize it'd spiral out of control like that."

"No, it's fine. It's not like you're the only one who thought it was a good idea. I'm the one who listened and did it."

"But I put the idea in your head. I just figured you would have _someone_. It's not like there are a lot of openly gay guys here. I mean, other than my dads, you're the only one… Well, other than William, I suppose." She furrowed her brow. "I still haven't really talked to him."

"You'd like him. He's a big Broadway fan," Kurt said, grinning as Rachel's face lit up.

"Well, he _is_ a part of _RENT_," she said.

"But other than that. You two should have a sing-off sometime." The challenge hung in the air for a moment, and Rachel straightened herself.

"Only if he wants to lose." Kurt laughed and shook his head.

"You'd be surprised."

"Hey, _you_ couldn't beat me at _Defying Gravity_." She gave him one of her self-satisfied smirks, and Kurt ground his teeth together, trying not to say anything. "Sorry. I didn't mean to –"

"No, it's fine." It wouldn't be such a sore spot if he hadn't missed that note on purpose. Now everyone thought he couldn't hit that. But it was all for the best in the end, wasn't it?

Then again, that all had been while he was at McKinley. And McKinley was starting to feel like another lifetime. It's not that he didn't miss it at times, but it was getting hard to imagine his self at school without a blue and red outfit. Rachel spoke again and pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Speaking of other people who like musicals, I talked with Blaine for some time." Kurt's eyebrows shot up, and he thought back to when Blaine had admitted to crying during _Moulin Rouge_ all that time ago.

"Oh?"

"I can see why you like him. And he is sort of cute, especially when he gets to talking about something he likes. He's like a big kid at times." For some reason, it bothered Kurt that she noticed.

"Yeah, he can be." Kurt's voice was clipped, and Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Relax, Kurt, he has a girlfriend. I'm not trying to steal your crush or anything. Besides, I doubt I'm his type." What was it with him and Rachel noticing the same guys, anyway – first Finn and now Blaine? Though if she ended up with Blaine… Kurt flushed at the thought.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know. It's just the feeling I get." She shrugged. "Besides, I'm determined to get Jesse back." She gave a nervous, hopeful smile.

KBKBKBK

In the end, they had talked for one more hour before Rachel drove him home for the weekend. When he had entered, he found everyone in the middle of dinner. The smell of tacos hit him, and he set down his keys, walking into the kitchen. "Hey," Kurt said, walking over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Oh, hey, are you hungry? Sorry we started without you," Carole said, smiling at him.

"Uh, sure." She and his dad seemed to be closer and closer every time he came home. She was scooted over close enough that they almost touched, and Kurt noticed they were sharing one glass of wine. He sat himself down next to Finn.

"Hey, bud, how are you?" his dad asked.

"Pretty good. I was out with Rachel." He looked over at Finn, who was scarfing food down his taco as if he hadn't eaten in days. He waved at Kurt when he noticed his glance, and Kurt tried to hide his disgust, smiling at Finn. "What's new with you guys?"

"Nothing much. We're just looking forward to spring break mostly." Kurt had completely forgotten about that.

"That's next week, isn't it?" he asked. How could he have forgotten something like that?

"Yup! Next Friday's the first day you'll have off school," Carole responded.

"And then you guys only have a month and a half left until school ends," his dad finished.

"We're finally going to be upper-classmen," Finn muttered before adding, "Oh, uh, Puck invited me to go camping with him for spring break." He said it between chews, and Carole scowled. Finn mumbled an apology, swallowing everything before opening his mouth again.

"We'll talk about that later," Carole said.

"School really is almost over…" Kurt said, more to himself. It was funny how time flew.

KBKBKBK

Kurt had been ready to go to bed when his phone vibrated. "_Maybe I could hang out with you and William this weekend?_" It was a text from Blaine. He was about to reply about that being a good idea when he realized William might object. Was it still too soon?

"_Hey, Blaine was wondering whether you wanted to hang out with us this weekend. I understand if you'd rather not…"_ He sent the text and waited. Usually William only took seconds to reply; often Kurt found himself wondering whether his cell was attached to him, but minutes passed where there was nothing.

Kurt leaned back into his bed and had just shut his eyes when he heard the phone vibrate again. "_No, no, it's fine. I might as well see what all this fuss about Blaine is. And, besides, he is your friend._" Kurt smiled. He could imagine William's nervous, slightly sad expression right now and felt a pang of guilt.

"_Thank you._" He sent the text to William and sighed. Hell, it might even end up being a good idea if they became friends.

"_Sure thing. We'll figure out the details tomorrow, though. Sleep now_," Kurt wrote to Blaine. Then, he set his phone on his bedside table, rolled over, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, so Blaine and Kurt have officially made up. And I got to show some more <em>RENT<em>, which is always nice. Tell me what you think.**

**Also: This is similar to the question two chapters ago, but what song has been your favorite on _Glee_ (Klaine or not)?**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Author's Note**: Oh my Rowling, I had to sit in the library to avoid going on Tumblr so I could focus and write this. You have no clue how hard it is to write awkward William/Blaine/Kurt (Blilliurt? Klailliam? Wilainert? I give up.) moments. I don't know why, but it's frustrating, and I couldn't focus. So, forgive me if it's not amazing. Also, there's a bit of self-insert in my interests and Darren Criss'. We'll see. I hope it works out well. Just get to the end because I promise you get some sort of a prize.

It's 4:15 AM. What am I even doing up?

Oh, and a quick shout-out to Darren Criss for winning break-out star, Cory Monteith for actor in a comedy series, and _Glee _overall for best comedy TV series in the TCAs!

Chapter Fifteen

In the end, they had decided to meet up at the park and work their way to a restaurant later if they ever became hungry. Kurt wasn't too sure about this all. He had woken up earlier than usual, slightly nervous about this. After all, Blaine hadn't always been so welcoming when it came to William. As for William, he couldn't be thrilled about meeting Blaine.

Kurt had agreed to pick him up on the way to the park, and William was already ready when he came, hopping out of the house and locking the door behind him. They walked back to the car silently other than a "morning" as Kurt mulled over what to do. As William fastened his seatbelt, Kurt turned around so that he was facing him. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"One, I already said I would, and I don't think Blaine would take it too kindly if we just called and said 'never mind'. And two, he's your friend. I should've met him before now."

"But you like me, and I like him." William's lips twitched downward momentarily before he corrected himself. Kurt still caught it. _Okay, not the best way of phrasing it…_

"True… But I don't want to hate him. I just want you to be happy Kurt, and I shouldn't be jealous of the friendship you two have or the way you feel." Kurt's hands moved around awkwardly in his lap, and he bit on the inside of his cheek. William reached out, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I promise." Nodding, Kurt turned around again so that he was facing the steering wheel and turned on the engine.

"Thanks. Again." Kurt only hoped that the two of them got along. At least Blaine seemed to be making the effort again, if the suggestion that the three of them hang out was anything to go by.

The drive to the park turned out to be somewhat awkward, and Kurt ended up turning on the radio, trying to cover up the lack of noise. William was staring out the window and lost in his own world, so perhaps the silence wasn't all that bad. But Kurt just felt so jumpy and nervous that he couldn't help but worry.

When they finally parked, Kurt collapsed slightly against the wheel, biting the inside of his cheek. "It's going to be okay, really. Kurt, just relax." He moved his head over so that William came into view, giving him a semi-encouraging smile. "Blaine might be waiting for us. So, take a deep breath and let's go."

"What if –"

"What if what?" Now that William asked, Kurt wasn't sure how to reply. What if they didn't get along maybe? But it wasn't just that. They hadn't tried talking to each other much before now. And there certainly had been moments where Blaine hadn't been the nicest about William. As for William, feeling uncomfortable around Blaine was understandable. They hadn't really broken up that long ago.

"I don't – Let's just go." Kurt took a steadying breath and walked out of the car, locking the doors and sliding the keys down his pocket. Blaine was, sure enough, waiting for them, pacing a bit at the front of the park and fiddling with his phone, looking unsure.

"Hey," Kurt said, and Blaine's head jerked up. His eyes were wide for a moment, but when they saw Kurt's, they softened, and he smiled.

"Hey yourself," Blaine replied. As Kurt and William walked over, Blaine ran to meet them, and his arms wrapped around Kurt in a quick hug. Kurt flushed slightly as he felt Blaine's hand on his back, giving a gentle squeeze.

Blaine pulled back, and awkwardly reached out his hand to shake William's. "Nice to meet you," Blaine mumbled, looking slightly embarrassed. "Or, well, re-meet you."

"Yeah. You too." William shook his hand, giving a shaky smile. When they pulled back, his hand reached up to his infamous gray beanie and adjusted it.

William's previous confidence had dropped, and he shuffled his feet awkwardly, one of his shoes scuffing the ground and bringing up some dirt.

"I like your beanie," Blaine commented, looking suddenly stressed for topics to talk about. "I notice that you – uh – wear it a lot." William suddenly turned pink as if this was some sort of an unusual comment to make.

"Thanks, it's – it's…" He gave a wide-eyed helpless sort of look at both of them.

"Oh, there's a back-story?" That was funny. Blaine was right; there might be one. Kurt had just never thought about it that way. He just thought it was just a hat that William had some sort of affinity towards. Who knew? Honestly, he hadn't really thought about it that much.

"I – yes," William replied, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. His hand went to the hat again, and he adjusted it, his bangs falling in his eyes. His eyes darted around, and he looked anywhere but Kurt and Blaine.

"I never knew…" Kurt muttered, and he scooted closer towards William, hoping to make him feel more comfortable.

"Well – um – when I first…" He bit at his lower lip. "The thing is –"

"Woah, woah, I didn't want to make you feel obligated to tell me or anything. I mean, if you don't feel comfortable…" Blaine quickly said, looking concerned. William noticeably relaxed, and nodded.

"If you don't mind then, I'd rather not." Well, what was that all about? William would tell him, right? It was just that he probably felt awkward saying it in front of Blaine; that was it. That had to be it.

"So, _RENT_, huh?" Blaine finally said after a moment of silence. Well, this conversation was going swimmingly well.

"Yeah, I can't believe I got in," William replied, looking pleased at the changed of topic. "I mean, Collins role is fantastic, and especially with Kurt as Angel. I – I mean, not that I wouldn't have liked it any – anyway. Kurt's just really good with that role, and –"There was that panic – that social anxiety – again. William really had meant it when he said he normally wasn't good at talking with people.

"Thanks," Kurt said, putting a hand on William's shoulder. William looked over at him, and Kurt tried to relate the thought 'relax' through his expression. That'd be a little odd to say in front of Blaine. It was funny though; just earlier William was telling him the same thing.

Of course, it didn't mean that Kurt felt completely at ease himself. This wasn't exactly going well. Neither of them was acting like the person Kurt loved them for. William was understandably stutter-y, and Blaine had his hands in his pockets and was looking like he was regretting the decision to do this.

"No, but you are really good," William replied, smiling shyly back at him.

"I agree," Blaine quickly added, and Kurt furrowed his brow. The way that Blaine replied made it sound like he was trying to compete with William or something. William's smile faded. This was an awkward mess.

Kurt wished there was some way to just introduce the two of them normally. He could see the two of them getting along quite well.

"Let's just walk," Kurt muttered, rubbing at his eyes. There was definitely a headache potential in this. They started to make their way down the dirt path, the trees mostly blocking out the sun, leaving them in a patterned shade.

"So, what do you like?" Blaine asked, moving further from Kurt and closer toward William. Good, at least he was trying to make some sort of effort. He looked unsure, but he must have noticed Kurt's discomfort.

"Musicals, of c – course," he said, wincing as the stutter came out. "God, I'm like P – P – Piglet," he said, looking a bit frustrated.

"Oh my God, Winnie the Pooh was my childhood. Well, Disney in general…" Blaine said, perking up. Kurt had heard this all before.

"Don't get him started on _Anastasia_. He won't shut up," Kurt warned William, smirking as Blaine glared at him.

"That's not Disney, anyway," Blaine said. "And it _is_a good film!"

"Oh, I know," William replied, and Kurt suddenly noticed that he looked excited as well. "But I do hate it that all the credit goes to Disney for that film. I mean, I get why – Disney did all those kinds of cartoons… But Anastasia's a badass."

"Exactly! Don't get me wrong – I have a soft spot for _Disney_, but most of those princesses need a prince in shining armor to save them. Anastasia can fend for herself. Not that I don't want her to end up with Demetrius at the end…"

"That scene when they're dancing," William said, and Kurt looked back and for the between the two of them. Had all that tension really fallen away that easily?

"Maybe we should stop dancing," Blaine quoted.

"We _have_stopped." Both of them started laughing as if the quote was hysterical for some reason.

"I never realized you liked Disney," Kurt replied. Blaine made it obvious once or twice when he had rambled about it. And there was that one time he had started singing _Part of Your World_… But William never had really talked about it before. Funny.

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" Kurt nodded noncommittally. He liked Disney, and there were a few times where he had craved to watch a film. After all, they had the love story and the happily ever after, but Kurt wouldn't call himself obsessed.

"What other movies do you like?" Blaine asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"Uh, have you seen _Princess Bride_?"

"No way – that movie's one of my favorites as well." Kurt scrunched his nose up.

"What's _Princess Bride_?" Apparently this was the wrong question to ask. Both Blaine and William looked at him with a horrified expression.

"You've never seen that?" Blaine asked, looking horrified.

"No…"

"Inconceivable," William replied, and the two of them started laughing again. Honestly, Kurt was starting to feel a bit out of the loop.

"Next thing you're going to be telling me you like _Moulin Rouge_," Blaine said to William.

"Of course I do. That is one of my favorite musicals. And that cover of _Roxanne_ is amazing." Now this was something that he could relate to.

"I'm more of an _Elephant Love Medley_ guy myself," Blaine admitted sheepishly.

"I was just about to say the same thing," Kurt said, grinning. That song was adorable; as were Satine and Christian.

"We should watch it sometime," Blaine said, turning to Kurt. He looked hopeful. And Kurt could just picture the ending coming on… It would only be an excuse to hug him and curl up against him, begging for comfort. Kurt flushed; he couldn't think that way. They were going to be _friends_ – just friends.

"Sure thing." Blaine grinned.

"Good. I'll bring the tissues."

It was funny how just the simple topics could make a conversation flow so much easier. For the next hours they walked around before deciding to go eat somewhere. Somewhere turned out to be Panera again… They talked for another two hours before Blaine's phone had vibrated.

"Oh, Faith needs to talk to me about something. I suppose I have to go. But I'll talk to you guys later. William, it was great to get a chance to really meet you." William nodded.

"Same goes to you," William replied.

"Sorry guys!" With that, he left. There was a moment where William looked down at his empty soup bowl, stirring the spoon noisily before he looked up at Kurt.

"So, you liked Blaine then?" Kurt asked, scooting closer.

"Yeah, once we got out of the whole awkward phase it was nice. And after Disney got brought up, I didn't even stutter once." He looked pleased with himself.

"I noticed. Congratulations." William grinned.

"Thank you." They were quiet for a moment again, and Kurt watched as William's hand went up to his beanie. Before he could help himself, he had blurted out the next question.

"What's the back-story?" He quickly bit his lip, feeling ashamed. "I mean, not that you have to tell me. I was just wondering… And I was thinking maybe you didn't feel comfortable saying it in front of Blaine or something, but we're friends, but I get that you might not want to tell me everything…" _I should shut up now_. Eloquence seemed to have slipped out of his grasp.

"No, no. It's fine…" He looked lost in thought for a moment before continuing. "I just don't want to make you feel awkward." That was odd. Why would he feel awkward?

"I don't…"

"It has to do with you." Oh. But how could a hat have to do with him?

"Go ahead, I suppose. I still want to know." William leaned closer, and his voice dropped to a whisper – it was hard enough to hear over the noise of everyone else. His eyes slid away from Kurt's and down to the table.

"I wore it for the first time when I met you at the park. I do have other hats. But, I dunno. It's sort of a good luck charm. Well, not really. Obviously, but I – it makes me think of you." His cheeks got redder as he said, that, and he barely mumbled out the last part. Kurt couldn't think what to say. It was oddly adorable, but it reminded him what he had done to William.

"Oh, I…" He didn't know what to say to that.

"I can stop wearing it if you'd like." Kurt shook his head wildly.

"No. It just surprised me. I'm really sorry for everything." How had William ever forgotten him? How hadn't he burned that hat, angry at him for betraying him like that?

"You did what you did. It's fine. Let's try to stay away from the drama and angst for once, okay?" He laughed, and Kurt couldn't help but smile.

"Deal."

KBKBKBK

The days were passing by fairly quickly, and Kurt was actually getting excited for spring break. They didn't exactly get a break from _RENT_, but other than that, he could relax. Monsieur Black was the only person so far who had made it clear that he was assigning something, and it was just a poster project on Le Petit Prince.

And even if their break wasn't that long, he would have the room to himself. Finn was off with Puck camping it seemed. Friday, the first day off, was ever-approaching. He just had to get through _RENT_ rehearsals today and then tomorrow, and it he wouldn't have to worry about much. Blaine had even agreed to come over at one point to watch _Moulin Rouge_ with him.

Of course, that didn't mean that _RENT_ rehearsals were without drama. Even though everyone was eager for spring break and in a good mood, some people never changed.

"I'm not singing that again. That's it," Santana said, snapping at Ryan. They'd had to practice together again, and, as expected, they weren't exactly getting along.

"It's not _perfect_ yet. I can't simply let it go. I don't enjoy working with you either." Bill had left them for a few minutes to go to the bathroom, and somehow everything seemed to just spiral out of control.

"Excuse me? It's not that I don't enjoy working with you; I hate it. You're a pain in the –"

"Can't you two just break it up?" Rachel asked, looking nervous. "I don't think Bill would be happy if he walked back and you two were just fighting? The first dress rehearsals are really soon." Kurt sighed, unable to concentrate on _You Okay, Honey_. He was practicing his part alone. William had gone over to practice some of the _I'll Cover You_ reprise with Blaine. They had practiced it as a group before – Kurt excluded, of course, considering Angel was dead – but Bill had wanted him to work on it again.

Recently it had been mostly about _Sante Fe_.

"And why should I listen to you?" Santana asked Rachel, sneering.

"Honestly, we need to be professional and –"

"The two of you should just get together; always about being professional." Santana leaned in closer and leered. "Guess now you can since Jesse's left you for good. Maybe Ryan has an extra egg to crack on your head. You can start this relationship the way you ended the last one." Rachel looked as if she was going to cry. What was going on?

"Date her? Please. I'd hardly do that. I have better taste," Ryan said, looking offended. Rachel stormed off, shaking.

"What the hell is going on? I leave you kids for two minutes…"

"Rachel decided to leave early," Santana said with a smirk.

"Only because you and Ryan were being –"Blaine paused, looking like he was biting back words. "Can't you leave her alone? She was only trying to get the rehearsals to move along. If you two wouldn't keep interrupting them…"

"Look, the hobbit's spoken," Ryan said, sneering at him. Kurt opened his mouth, but William beat him to it.

"Why don't you lay off of him, Jacobs?"

"Oh, let me guess, Kurt dumped you so now you're just jumping to the next boy like a little sl –"Kurt growled, jumping forward, as did Blaine, but before either of them could do anything –

"That's enough!" Bill looked furious. "These rehearsals are important. This show is going to be on soon, and if you guys can't learn to behave yourselves…" He shuddered before glaring at all of them. "I thought I could expect better, but I might as well have hired bickering, little children. If I hear another _word_ out of any of you other than your lines or your lyrics…"

Everyone shrunk backwards, even Ryan and Santana surprisingly enough; although the pair of them still looked annoyed. Santana's arms were, as usual, crossed over her chest, and Ryan was scowling, glaring at everyone.

It seemed _RENT_ practice just wasn't complete recently without some sort of drama. Kurt was about to go back to what he was doing, when he looked up to noticed William frozen, looking as if he was about to cry. Whatever Bill had said, he couldn't bear to see him like that. Blaine looked hopelessly at William, saying something, but William was shaking his head.

"William…" He reached out to hug him, but William pulled back from him as if shocked.

"Don't. Please Kurt, not now…"

"But you're not. You should never think that. William, look at me." William was trying to edge away, but Kurt caught his hand, pulling him closer.

"Let me go, Kurt," he sounded vulnerable, afraid.

"No. William Kelly, you're going to listen to me right now." So, his stern voice wasn't the best. A small flicker of a smile spread on William's face at that. "You don't deserve a word of that. You're amazing, you know?" Although it was obvious that he was trying not to, a grin spread across William's face. "And you're the one person I can count on not to be angst-ridden at these practices, so don't let me down, okay?" Kurt added, chuckling.

"Deal," William replied.

"Good." Kurt looked over, spying Bill eyeing them. He scowled slightly, but as he was turning away Kurt swore he saw him smile as well.

KBKBKBK

Blaine had come back with him to his room because they had been talking after _RENT_ rehearsals. Richard hadn't been there, so they simply stayed there and collapsed, talking and talking. It was nice, and Kurt lay stretched out on his bed, enjoying the laziness.

They had taken a break for a while to do homework, but there wasn't much left the days before spring break. There was a test in English to prepare for, but Kurt had read The Scarlet Letter to wrap up the unit. It wouldn't be that hard, he figured.

Still, they were sitting there again, reading their books looking over sections. When Blaine started humming, Kurt at first didn't realize what it was. He hadn't heard the melody coming from Blaine for quite a while now. But when he did recognize it, a smile spread across his face.

"_I'll Cover You_," he commented, shutting his book and tossing it on his dresser. The song sounded somehow different hummed from Blaine than sung by William. Which Kurt supposed made sense…

"Yeah, remember when we sang it? Blaine asked, sitting up as well, taking his book and throwing it in his back-pack. He zipped it back up and grinned eagerly at Kurt.

"How could I forget? The millions of practices I made you endure." Blaine chuckled.

"I didn't mind them so much. They were more of an excuse to spend time with you. Besides, I think we did pretty well."

"Considering we both got roles, I'd say yeah – we did."

"We should do it." _What?_ "The song, I mean. We should do it again… for old time's sake." The idea didn't seem half bad. They clearly couldn't focus on their work, and Kurt was actually in the mood for singing. Hell, he'd always be in the mood to sing with Blaine, especially a song like _I'll Cover You_.

"Sure, why not!" They both stood up, moving closer. Blaine motioned for him to begin, and he grinned. After clearing his throat, he did just that. "Live in my house. I'll be your shelter…" He walked around Blaine, smiling. Blaine's hand reach out, wrapping around his waist and stopping him. It slid down to his hand and he pulled him closer just as he began singing.

"Open your door. I'll be your tenant…" Kurt leaned his head against Blaine's shoulder, laughing quietly as Blaine sang, his eyes never leaving Kurt. They mimicked walking down the street by dancing across the room, Kurt swinging his hips.

Grabbing a coat from his closet quickly, he turned around, slipping it onto Blaine, trying not to laugh at the awkward fit. "You'll be my king, and I'll be your castle."

Blaine's hand reached down, falling firmly into his, and he gave a light squeeze. Kurt felt his skin tingle as Blaine continued staring at him with those wide eyes, and they sang, running again up and down the room, visualizing the streets of New York instead.

"Oh, lover, I'll cover you," they sang in perfect harmony. Blaine had spun him around so that they were facing each other, and were completely pressed up against each other. As Blaine's hands reached towards his face, his fingers lightly brushing against his cheeks, Kurt blushed, frozen as he sang. Perhaps Blaine was taking it too far even. It almost looked as if he was actually going to kiss him.

Blaine's eyes fluttered shut, and he leaned forward with his final word, the 'you' barely coming out as a breath as their lips connected. Kurt gasped into the kiss, shivering as Blaine's fingers trailed lightly against his cheek. Was this happening? Kurt almost expected Blaine to pull back, the same silly grin on his face and say, "Just kidding!"

Yet he didn't. Instead his light kiss suddenly became more desperate. Perhaps he wanted Kurt to respond. Whatever the reason, he suddenly pressed closer to him, and his fingers tightened up. Kurt couldn't help but moan. He had been right, Blaine was rough. His tongue, which had tentatively been reached out, parted Kurt's lips and mapped his mouth. And Kurt let him, his hands trailing upwards and tangling themselves into that gelled down helmet of hair.

He could taste Blaine, and his tongue weakly met Blaine's in some sort of retaliation. He wanted to memorize this, the feel of their lips pressed together as their bodies leaned in as closely as possible. They seemed desperate to feel as much of each other as they could, and one of Blaine's hand slipped to Kurt's back, gently gliding up and down.

Blaine made a whimpering sound and pulled back momentarily, panting. His eyes shot open and he stared at Kurt with an amazing mixture adoration and lust before they slowly eased downward to Kurt's lips, and he gently leaned back in, taking Kurt's lower lip between his teeth and nibbling it. Kurt's fingers stretched out and he tugged again through the hair, relishing the way Blaine shuddered and arched a bit.

He looked at Blaine, willing the moment to go on. Willing for them to continue kissing, exploring this feeling and being _alive_ just for a little bit longer… He wanted to selfishly stop time for himself and steal Blaine away, learn everything about him. Because this – this was like nothing Kurt had ever felt before. Every inch of him stood on edge, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get enough. _Mine_, he thought, pressing closer so that it was almost suffocating.

Yet it was amazing how quickly a moment could be ruined.

Before they knew what was going on, there was the sound of the doorknob turning. Blaine froze, his face morphing into one of shock as he pressed back on Kurt, trying to get apart. But they didn't move quickly apart enough. Kurt's eyes went to them immediately, and his hands slid away from Blaine fully. Even if the guilt in their eyes didn't give it away, their swollen lips and rumpled clothes told it all.

And if their shocked faces were anything to go by, Richard and Faith knew exactly what was going on.

"I –"Blaine looked around slowly at each of them before shaking his head, tears starting to form in his eyes. "No. I can't do this. I can't." With that, he sprinted out of the room, grabbing his backpack, which swung dangerously, almost hitting Kurt.

"Blaine!" Faith went sprinting after him, and after throwing a final glance at Kurt, Richard did the same. And as much as he wanted to, Kurt couldn't seem to move. It was only after their yells faded down the hallways that he broke down and fell onto the bed, shaking.

* * *

><p><strong>So, that was interesting, wasn't it? Huh. What did you think of my Kliss? It only took sixteen chapters... Ahem.<strong>

**Also: Similar to last time but, favorite _awkward_ performance? I have to say You're Having My Baby. That was just priceless.**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Author's Note**: So, here's this chapter. I'm sorry I've been taking a while. My first day of senior year starts in - well - some six hours. I should be sleeping, but I'm kind of nervous. In any case, a huge thank you to all of you for your amazingly positive reviews for the last chapter, my beta, and, finally, Katie who has helped me indescribably with the way this plot is going to progress. She's super fantastic, and I love her, and if you love this fanfic and how it's going to go after this point, it's all thanks to her.

P.S. I saw the Glee movie. I totally sang along obnoxiously, and I think the other people in the theater hated me... Welp.

Chapter Sixteen

Kurt paced back and forth around the room, crying. He couldn't do this anymore. His eyes hurt from crying, and Richard still hadn't come back. Hell, he didn't want Richard to come back. How would he be able to look him in the eyes? He had yelled at him for encouraging Faith to cheat on Blaine. And yet, here he was, doing the exact same thing with Blaine.

But no, it hadn't been him. That was what made it worse. Or was it better? His head hurt and all he knew was that he wanted that again – the feel of their lips together, this fingers clutching at each other desperately. As if they were afraid to let go. But hadn't they been?

Kurt flipped open his phone, dialing Blaine's number and holding the phone up next to his himself. It rang once, twice… eight, nine times before finally going to the answering machine. Blaine's innocently cheery voice over the answering machine – something he loved – grated in his ears. It sounded wrong.

After the beep, he broke down. "Answer your phone! You promised you wouldn't hurt me. You fucking promised. I gave you a chance." He wasn't even sure that Blaine would be able to make out what he was saying, but he didn't care. His voice was screechy and he couldn't stop sobbing. "And you won't even answer your goddamn phone." He collapsed back on the bed again, falling forward somewhat and resting his forehead against the palm of his hand.

"You said you wouldn't hurt me. But it hurts," he admitted before closing the phone and sniffling, falling backwards and staring at the ceiling. All that was spiraling around his mind was Blaine pressed closely against him. God, he could still taste him if he licked his lips. But it was Blaine that had done it. Why had Blaine done it?

It wasn't to stay in character. That kiss had been far from a chaste peck on his lips. But couldn't – He wasn't _gay_. He was dating Faith, for God's sake. Okay, so maybe Blaine was bi, though the thought somehow brought a sneer to his lips. He'd always felt that 'bisexual' was a term that gay guys in high school used when they wanted to hold hands with girls and feel normal. Yet Faith had come first, and he was merely…

What exactly was he? Supplementary? Convenient? He curled up in a ball, and his eyes squeezed shut. He wanted Blaine there told hold him – to squeeze his hand and tell him everything was going to be alright. He wanted to feel Blaine's head nuzzled up against his shoulder, the other boy's hair tickling him. But Blaine had caused this whole mess.

And he had used those two words Kurt never wanted to hear again: I can't. Why couldn't he? Why did he have to leave him there, without an explanation, without anything? Kurt felt nauseous, and he sure as hell wasn't going to wait for Richard to come back. Grabbing a duffle bag, he stuffed his uniform, his pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturizers – everything he would need for tomorrow as well.

It wasn't as if he could leave campus, but he knew two people who would let him sleep in their room. Of course, he felt bad barging in, but it wasn't late yet, and if he had to face Richard… There was no way he could do that. What would Richard say to him?

He stormed out of the room, turning left and walking by multiple doors before reaching the one he wanted and rapping loudly on it. He could hear their voices inside, murmuring. "Nick, Jeff, let me in… please." His voice was raggedy, and it was obvious that he was crying, so it was no surprise the door flew open immediately. The two of them were at the doorway looking nothing but concerned. They practically pulled him into the bedroom and proceeded to do a sort of a sandwich hug. Normally Kurt would've had a problem with it, but seeing them, same as always and desperate to comfort him managed to make him form a small, watery smile.

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked.

"Who do we have to beat up this time?" There wasn't nearly as much humor to Nick's voice, and even though he pulled back, he laid a light hand on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt crumpled down to one of their beds, sitting on the edge and curling himself up.

Could he tell them everything? What choice did he have? If he was going to sleep in their room and ask them to let him stay, despite the fact that he was a sobbing, hysterical mess, then they at least deserved to know. That was something people normally had the common decency to do. That was, unless you were Blaine.

"It's Blaine, isn't it?" Jeff asked quietly after a moment, sitting down on one side of him. Nick sat on the other, and the two of them exchanged a worried glance.

"What did he do this time?" Nick's hand went to his shoulder, massaging slow circles.

He didn't know how to tell them. It would sound absurd. "We were in my dorm room just being silly. We were getting distracted, so we started singing _I'll Cover You_ more as a nostalgic thing. I don't know, we were running around and holding hands and…" He shook, tired of crying.

"What happened?" Jeff's voice was barely a whisper, and he sounded afraid.

"He kissed me." The two of them looked incredulously at him, and Nick's jaw fell as he gaped at him, his hand started to slide down Kurt's back before it flopped down to the bed.

"He did _what_?" It was Nick this time, and he shook his head as if he didn't believe what Kurt had said. Perhaps he didn't, Kurt thought.

"As in kiss-kiss? As in on the lips? As in your lips and his?" Jeff wasn't really smooth with his questions, and Kurt winced though he nodded.

"Holy shit." Kurt gave a broken chuckle, but nodded again.

"Was that it? I mean, you wouldn't be here crying if that was it, would you?" Jeff asked.

"Richard and Faith walked in, and he just… ran away."

"Let me guess – he said that he couldn't do it," Nick muttered, looking slightly angry himself. Kurt nodded.

"He promised he wouldn't hurt me if I gave him one more chance," he muttered, feeling somewhat pathetic. Had Blaine scampered off with no excuse as per usual, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal. That kiss changed everything though, and Kurt hated him for it.

For a long time, they sat there, Jeff and Nick's arms wrapped around him. Kurt let them, needing the comfort of someone's touch. When the tears finally subsided, he felt drained, exhausted. His eyes kept on fluttering shut, though he wasn't exactly sure when he fell asleep.

When he woke up, he was curled up on Jeff's bed. They didn't have a sleeping bag, and Jeff and Nick had managed to curl up on one bed. The gesture alone was enough to make him smile tiredly. He must've collapsed fairly early by his standards. Apparently they had managed to reposition him and get him under the covers without waking him up. He wasn't exactly sure how, but the fact that they had done this for him was amazing.

Still, he felt a clench at his heart when he thought about Blaine. His dreams had involved a certain curly, black-haired Warbler kissing him. He sat up, reaching over for his phone; nothing. He wasn't sure exactly what he had expected. It wasn't as if Blaine would suddenly change how he acted. This was what he did, after all? One moment everything would be fantastic, and the next he would run away until it suited him.

Kurt set his jaw. Well, he'd have to see him sooner or later today. _We need to talk, Blaine. I'm not kidding. I'm not taking your shit anymore_, he wrote in a text, feeling a bit guilty as he hit the send button. It wasn't as if Blaine was trying to hurt him. But he was. Kurt wasn't sure how much he could take.

After all, he wasn't looking forward to seeing Richard later today or Faith at _RENT_ practice, but he knew it was unavoidable. Sure, he had eluded Richard for one night, but he was going to make sure to say something to them. The thought frightened him, but he knew he had to do it.

He couldn't wait until Blaine and he had French together. In the past, he had let Blaine fume and shut him out. Maybe Blaine was best at running away, but Kurt didn't plan on giving him that option this time if there was anything he could do about it. The moment he spotted Blaine, he was going to make sure to go up to him and refuse to leave him alone until he got some sort of adequate explanation. Hell, he deserved it.

KBKBKBK

But Blaine wasn't there for French class. Kurt waited, hoping that he had just been detained somewhere. He could barely focus on anything, and his eyes kept on glancing back over to the clock to see how much time had passed. Something told him that Blaine wasn't being detained though; he was skipping.

The fact that Blaine would skip the last day of school before spring break just to avoid him revolted Kurt. And each moment of French class that went by without Kurt being able to focus, Kurt blamed on Blaine. Every moment he couldn't find a way to relax and focus, he bit back tears. If nothing else, he wanted to see Blaine.

It wasn't until lunch that he saw Richard. Kurt cautiously approached him as he stood talking to someone Kurt didn't know. Tentatively Kurt had tapped him on the shoulders, and Richard had excused himself to talk one-on-one with Richard. He had expected yelling or at least a few angry comments, but none came.

"I'm sorry…" Kurt finally managed to choke out after a minute or two of shuffling from foot to foot.

"Don't be." That he hadn't seen coming. He was at least expecting Richard to chastise him on his hypocritical behavior.

"I helped Blaine cheat on Fiath. I was a part of that." Richard's eyebrows furrowed.

"Haven't you seen Blaine?" That was an odd question to ask. Kurt shook his head. "He's avoiding you, isn't it?" There was a pause before he nodded his head. Where were the tantrums? How could Richard take it all so coolly? Where was the screaming? "I'm going to kill him."

"Why him?" _Why not me as well_? _I was_ _involved in this whole mess too._

"Because what he has to tell you is important, and he's trying to get away from it any way he can. God, he's going to fail his French test just because he doesn't want to talk to you. I got to go, Kurt. Just try not to let him affect you too much, okay?" Kurt barely managed to nod as Richard walked away.

Something he didn't see was going on. If Richard wasn't angry at him, there had to be good reason. Clearly he believed that this had to do with Blaine's secret, whatever it was.

Kurt was stuck trying to figure out what it was as the day progressed. Luckily he didn't have too many classes after lunch. Everyone looked excited as the day went on, antsy and ready for vacations. Kurt was sure he was the only one dreading them. Blaine could skip school for one or two days, but he wouldn't be able to do so for eternity. Once spring break started, though, Kurt was sure he wouldn't get a glimpse of Blaine until all they were back in school.

It wasn't until school had ended that he even realized that he didn't have a ride to _RENT_ rehearsals. He groaned in frustration. The determination he had started out the day with had all but disappeared, and he was once again left feeling weak and confused. That was until he heard a familiar voice echoing down the corridors.

"I don't want to go!" Blaine was yelling at whoever was doing… well, whatever they were doing.

"No, you don't want to face Kurt. Do you realize how self-absorbed you are? God." That was Faith. But what was Faith trying to do. By the sound of it, she was on his side. Was everyone on his side for some odd reason?

"I can't do it, Fay. I can't tell him –"They rounded the corner and Blaine's eyes got wide. "Oh God, Kurt, I'm so sorry." Kurt felt tears prickle at his eyes, and he pushed them back.

"Yeah, you could've fooled me with what you were saying. Ignoring my texts and my calls… That all really helped too." His voice was harsh and bitter, and he glared at Blaine. "You kissed me. It wasn't the other way around." For a moment Blaine looked like he was about to retort, but then his jaw shut and his head fell forward in defeat.

"I'll tell you everything after _RENT_ practice."

"You're going to give me your key when we get there so I can make sure you won't just try to disappear again." She glared at Blaine, and he paused before nodding.

"Fine," Blaine replied before walking away, Faith trailing after him. Kurt followed silently, unsure what to say or do. His heart pounded. Blaine was going to tell him his big secret. He was going to know, and everything would be okay. At least, that was what he kept telling himself. His palms were sweaty and his heart must've been beating as regularly as the beats to an improvised, syncopated jazz song. There was nothing he could do now except for silently beg that everything would be alright.

KBKBKBK

The car ride had been horribly awkward. No one had spoken a single word to each other. Jeff silently glared at Blaine, refusing to reply to his "hey" when they first saw each other. This was the sort of mess he'd hoped never to create. Everyone was fighting, and it was all because of something stupid that happened between him and Blaine.

True to her word, Faith had snatched Blaine's key, and they had walked out to rehearsals. William had immediately noticed something was wrong, but Kurt had managed to somewhat appease him with a "tell you later".

Besides that, rehearsals seemed to be dragging out endlessly. It was getting impossible to get in the proper mood for singing. Bill was getting increasingly more frustrated, and Kurt swore he could still hear ringing in his ears even after he'd stopped yelling.

"Dress rehearsals are in a _few days_, and you can't even get your act together! I'm debating on cancelling the whole show." Normally Kurt would've freaked out, and a part of him did flutter and feel some sort of fear. But all he could think about was Blaine.

What was Blaine going to tell him? How was he going to explain the kiss? Was he going to explain the kiss? There was the tiniest glimmer of hope that for some reason they'd have the excuse to kiss again. His eyes kept on flickering back to Blaine, who was doing his best to avoid looking at Kurt it seemed. In any case, all Kurt knew was his hands were sweaty, his stomach kept on coiling up, and if _RENT _rehearsals didn't end soon, he was going to cry out of frustration.

He'd been doing too much of that, he felt – crying. But it wasn't as if he could help it. All he wanted was to be left alone. He was tired of switching from high to low, pulled in and shoved back down. Didn't he deserve better? "Kurt, you were supposed to chime in." Kurt jumped, shook his head, and looked at William.

"You know, the 'oh's and then you're supposed to ask, 'You teach'?" Kurt blinked rapidly and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I knew that. Sorry, I'm just… distracted." Well, that was an understatement.

"I've seen you trying to make things better before. I've seen you freak out because things are wrong. But you've never been this spacey. You were off-key on _Seasons of Love_ earlier, even. You've never been quite like this before. What's wrong?"

"Blaine…" Kurt replied, his eye trailing on Bill, who was currently walking around and talking to Blaine and Ryan, who were practicing some song or another together.

"I figured as much." William scowled. "What did he do this time?"

"He kissed me." William recoiled, and blinked at him curiously. "He did what?" His voice was suddenly harsher. Kurt had honestly been dreading William's reaction a bit as well.

"But he's been avoiding me all day. He just ran away." He didn't want to explain. William shook slightly.

"He doesn't have a right to throw you around like some rag doll. You're worth more, Kurt. So much more…" He shook his head.

"Thanks. I don't know anymore. I just want to go back to McKinley before any of this had happened." He sighed before continuing. "Well, that's a bit of a lie. He's promise that he's going to explain after rehearsals." William scoffed.

"And this should be different from the other times he's told you he's going to explain?" There was a hint of jealousy and fear in William's voice. He seemed to notice the way Kurt was curiously staring at him, though, and he heaved a deep breath.

"He's going to tell me this time," Kurt replied in a small voice. William crumpled forward, sighing.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"If he likes you too – he could be bi. I just want you to be happy. And he acts somewhat like a little kid with a crush around you. I just…" Kurt furrowed his brow, and William shook his head. "The way his hand brushes up against you, his hugs, the way he talks to you – I don't know. But I thought he was straight."

"So did I, but –"

Before Kurt could continue, there was the noise of the theater doors slamming open. "Just some little play my ass!" Everyone's attention snapped over to those doors where a man in a tan trench coat was storming down towards the stage. He had curly, gelled-back black hair. Kurt's breath caught in his throat. _No_…

"D – Dad, what are you doing here?" Blaine asked. His voice small and his face flushed. Kurt gaped back and forth at the two of them, and everyone else seemed to be momentarily frozen. Bill was the first one to speak again.

"Sir, I'm sorry, did we do something wrong, or –"

"I decided to look up this play, _RENT_ that you're in," Blaine's dad spat, climbing up the steps of the stage. Everyone took a collective step backwards. Oh, God, Blaine's dad looked fuming.

"I'm sure we can sort this out reasonably." Even Bill's voice was faltering.

"You know what it had in it? You know what it was about?" Blaine's dad stepped up to him, towering over him and wringing his hands.

"Dad, please…" Blaine had never sounded so small. He looked suddenly afraid, and he shook, tears starting to form in his eyes. Hell, if no one else was going to step forward, he was. Kurt started making his way across the stage, shaking a little.

Blaine's dad's eyes went over to Kurt, and he stared at him, and Kurt froze, his breath catching in his throat. "People like him," he said, answering his own question. Blaine growled, stepping towards Kurt, his eyes watering.

"Back off of Kurt," Blaine replied, suddenly switching from fear to anger. People suddenly burst into motion, and a few of them came forward, standing next to Kurt, as if forming some sort of shield. William's hand slipped into Kurt's, and Kurt felt it shaking.

"Who do you think you are?" Rachel shouted, going forward and pressing herself by Kurt's side, standing as tall as always.

"Yeah, only I'm allowed to make fun of him," Santana added, her hand falling to her hip.

"Don't listen to him, Kurt," Jeff muttered in his ear.

"Yeah," Faith added. Even Ryan looked around before scowling and stepping closer to Kurt, his chest puffed out indignantly as if he himself had been insulted. And though he didn't say anything, it was that gesture that counted. Kurt felt his eyes water as everyone made their way over, trying to protect him. People _cared_.

"Blaine, what would your mother say about this?"

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Bill said, with a tone of finality. Blaine's dad paused for a moment, shaking his head, and finally shrugged.

"Alright. Fine, Blaine, consider yourself warned. "

With that, he turned on heel and started walking out of the theater. About half-way down, he threw one last look back at Blaine. "I expected better from you." The moment the door slammed behind Blaine's dad, everyone started whispering, the entire place suddenly buzzing.

"We'll end early today," Bill said, walking towards Blaine. Blaine shook though, and Kurt suddenly realized he was crying.

"I got to go." With that, he sprinted away. Kurt didn't even think. He immediately began chasing after him. Kurt got out just as Blaine's dad was driving away, and he saw Blaine making his way towards his car, pulling helplessly at the door handles, trying to open it. Of course, Faith still had the keys… Kurt slowed down, and came up next to Blaine, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Blaine tensed before turning around, burying his head in Kurt's neck and sobbing. "I never meant to hurt… I'm gay, Kurt." Kurt blinked rapidly, his breath catching in his throat.

"But Faith…" Blaine shook his head, and Kurt's arm tightened around his back.

"I like her as a friend. She's my beard, though." Kurt raised his eyebrows, uncertain of what that meant. Blaine seemed to realize that he didn't exactly understand when Kurt didn't reply. "She's just a cover-up."

"What?" His voice sounded small.

"I like you a lot. I have for a while, but I was scared. I'm still scared." His eyes clenched shut, and he got on his tip-toes, lightly brushing their lips together again. Kurt shivered, unsure how to react. "God, I've wanted to do this for so long." He took a steadying breath before looking back up at Kurt. His hand reached out, and he cupped Kurt's cheek, his thumb stroking small circles. And Kurt let him.

"My parents aren't exactly accepting of gay people. You can imagine how they'd react if they found out I was... in this group." His voice was scratchy. "They were starting to get suspicious, I think. Faith was my friend, and – and she liked me." He grimaced. "I never should've taken advantage of her like that." Suddenly something dawned on Kurt.

"That's why you were telling me that people make mistakes when I did that to William. You said that secrets hurt people." Blaine nodded, and his hand went up to his eyes, wiping away his tears.

"Yeah, I was thinking of what I did to Faith." His hand reached out and he reached for Kurt's hand, entwining their fingers together. His skin seemed to tingle, and though he was feeling somewhat numb at the moment, a smile flickered on Kurt's face. "I told her a few months after we started dating."

"She wasn't pleased, I'd imagine." Blaine shook his head.

"No, she freaked out. And for a few weeks we just avoided each other. Finally, she approached me one day, asking for an explanation. So, I told her about my parents – how if they ever knew, they'd stop loving me. How they'd leave me or make me leave…" Blaine shook, and Kurt's grip on him tightened.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine. You don't deserve this."

"Yes I do. I've kept her and Richard from being together. I've hurt you. I've hurt everyone." He looked up at Kurt, his eyes watering yet again. "The only reason I pushed you away was because I was scared of falling in love with you." Kurt's breath hitched in his throat, and he stared at Blaine uncertainly.

Their lips met again, and this time it wasn't fueled by desperation. It was simply and sweet. Blaine's hand reached up to Kurt's hair, and he ran his fingers carefully through it, looking adoringly at Kurt. Warmth spread across Kurt's body just seeing that, and he leaned forward, pressing their lips closer together. Blaine's fingers tightened around his, and their hands shook.

When Kurt pulled back, they leaned their foreheads against each other and remained quiet, smiling at each other. After a minute, Faith walked up to them. She said nothing, though her lips twitched upward in a small, shaky smile as they turned and looked at her. Wordlessly, she handed Blaine the key to his car and walked away.

Blaine gave Kurt's hand a final squeeze before he pulled back and unlocked his car.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you think?<strong>

**Also: If you lived in the Glee-verse, who would you be friends with?**


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Author's Note**: Sorry this took horrendously long. I lost inspiration. Much thanks to my beta for still being there for me to fall back on, though, heh.

In any case, this chapter has a lot of fluff, which I always feel like I miss up. But I suppose you'll be the judge of that.

Also, SEASON THREE COMES ON IN A WEEK. EEP.

Chapter Seventeen

Blaine leaned against Kurt, and both of them smiled. Of course, leaning over their seats, the position was somewhat uncomfortable, but it didn't really matter. Kurt's arm was wrapped around Blaine. His other hand ran through Blaine's hair, letting it loose from the gel. It felt odd knowing that he could do this.

It had just been an hour after rehearsal. They hadn't really talked much since leaving. Neither of them really knew what to say. They'd spent so long daydreaming about this moment that now that it came, they were afraid to speak and ruin it. But they couldn't sit in Kurt's driveway forever, and Blaine was the first to break the silence. Pulling away from Kurt, he nervously bit at his lip. "And you're sure that it's a smart idea to tell your dad about this?" he asked.

"I'm not going to hide this –" Kurt cut off, blinking and staring unsurely at Blaine. What he had wanted to say was 'This relationship', but a part of him was afraid Blaine would laugh at him and tell him that wasn't what it was. "What exactly are we?" Kurt finally asked.

"I thought it was pretty obvious. Though, if you'd rather I formally ask you out…" A pink tinge spread on both of their cheeks, and Kurt's smile widened. His hand reached out, squeezing Blaine's.

"I suppose you'll just have to take me out on an amazing first date to make up for it," Kurt teased, and Blaine laughed, nodding.

"Alright, I suppose I could do that. If you insist…" He winked, and Kurt leaned forward, pecking his cheek. As Blaine tilted his head, their cheeks brushed together, and Kurt knew this was a sort of a thing he would love. There was something thrilling about knowing that he was allowed to lean against Blaine like this – knowing it was this sort of a thing that made them both happy.

Kurt's head still spun when he thought about it, though. For months he had thought that Blaine was unreachable, and all it had taken was two short days for it to change. It was so absurd that Kurt was almost afraid that it was a joke. One look at Blaine's smile told him otherwise.

"C'mon. Let's do this. We can't sit in my driveway forever," Kurt said after a minute or two of leaning against Blaine. He sighed as Blaine nodded, and pulled away. They both opened their doors and dragged themselves out, immediately pulling towards each other again. Kurt extended his hand, and Blaine grasped it. He could feel the tremble in Blaine's hand, and both of their palms were sweaty. "My dad's not like yours," Kurt whispered.

And it was true. His dad and Carole would indubitably love Blaine if Kurt did. Still, he'd never had to say anything like this. What if their first impression was a bad one? Or what if they based their thoughts of Blaine were influenced by what they'd heard before? Or – Kurt simply couldn't stop running what if's though his mind.

"Hey, kiddo!" Kurt heard his dad call from upstairs. Blaine's grip tightened around his hand, and he glanced over at Blaine, giving him a reassuring smile. Still, Blaine was drained of color and shook.

"Dad, can you come downstairs?" Kurt asked before turning back to Blaine. "It'll be fine," he whispered, reaching up with his other hand and running his fingers lightly through Blaine's hair. He could feel Blaine relax under his touch. When they heard Kurt's dad coming down the stairs, they pulled back, though they still held hands.

"What's up?" His dad stopped at the bottom stair, his eyes drifting down to their linked hands. Kurt felt his face heat up, and he took a deep breath before speaking.

"Dad, this is Blaine." For a moment, nobody responded. It was as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for a big bad event to happen. When nothing did, Blaine extended his other hand and cleared his throat.

"Nice to meet you, sir" His dad blinked for a moment before stepping down and shaking Blaine's hand. His brow furrowed as his eyes moved back down to where Blaine's hand was slipped into Kurt's.

"Nice to meet you too…" His voice was distracted. "You're – so you're…" He waited for Kurt to fill in the blank.

"He's my boyfriend." The last word lingered for a moment before his dad let out a shaky laugh. He clearly wasn't angry, but that shock factor was there. His eyes drifted between Kurt and Blaine, and he shook his head, smiling slightly, almost uncertainly.

"Well, then… I –" He slipped his hat off his head and scratched the back of his head. For a moment he gave Blaine a serious look. "Just to warn you, if you mess with Kurt in any way…" Blaine flushed and shook his head vigorously.

"No, I wouldn't dream of it! No. I –" He trailed off and continued staring wide-eyed at Burt.

"Well, good." He sighed and relaxed. "Okay, nice to meet you, Blaine." He started leading back towards the stairs before turning around. "Just stay in the living room so that I can keep an eye on you two." Kurt felt his face light up, and he stared after his dad as he clambered up the steps.

When he'd finally made it up, Kurt and Blaine walked over to the couch. Immediately upon sitting down, Kurt moved so that his head leaned against Blaine's chest and he was pressed up against the other boy. An arm wrapped around him, and another hand went to his hair, slowly running through it.

"Don't worry. I won't mess it up," Blaine whispered, laughing quietly. Kurt smiled as well, and he let his eyes drift shut. Neither of them knew exactly what to say or do, but Kurt knew he felt safe with Blaine next to him. All that angst and heartbreak seemed to finally be worth it. Blaine pressed a light kiss on top of Kurt's head, and Kurt's eyes opened again.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" He didn't know what else to suggest at this point.

"Sure. I'll probably have to go home after that, though. My parents…" He left the thought unfinished. "They'll just want me home."

"Yeah." Kurt tried not to let it get to him but the thought of Blaine's parents yelling at him, potentially even worse considering that his dad had just stormed in like that… As if reading his mind, Blaine snuggled in closer, pressing his nose into Kurt's shoulder and kissing his neck lightly.

"They've never hurt me. I'll be fine. I doubt my dad will even bring it up." Kurt nodded and pulled himself upright.

"Which film?" He didn't want Blaine to see how absolutely worried he was, and he figured that the sooner he started the film, the sooner he'd be able to get his mind off of this all.

"Okay, funny or not funny?" Kurt paused, thinking it over.

"I dunno. I'm not too sure I could get into a comedy right now. I'm just not up for laughing. But maybe something I've seen before so that if I fall asleep or something then I don't have to worry." That sounded about accurate. Honestly, laughter would probably help, but he just couldn't do that right now.

"Perfect. _Moulin Rouge_? You said you wanted to a while ago, and…" Kurt smiled and reached down, grabbing the DVD and popping it out of its case and into the DVD player.

"Sounds good to me too" Of course, if he didn't fall asleep, it most likely meant crying in front of Blaine, but that could be dealt with when it got to that point. Right now he just felt giddy. This wasn't just any movie; it was _Moulin Rouge_. And for how long had they been saying they were going to watch it together? Here they were doing it as the first film they were going to watch… together. It was a bit surreal.

Kurt leapt back towards the couch, immediately pulling his legs up and curling into Blaine. An arm wrapped around him, and he looked up to see Blaine looking back down and grinning at him. "Can I say 'my Kurt', or would that be overly cheesy?" In an attempt to keep from smiling so widely, Kurt bit his lower lip. The previews went unnoticed by them in the background.

"Well, it is extraordinarily cheesy, but I think I'll let it slide this time." He paused asking, "Do you want anything?" Blaine shook his head, but his stomach gave an untimely growl. He let out a nervous laugh.

"Well, maybe, but maybe just chips or something." Kurt nodded and slipped out of his grasp and over to the kitchen. He could hear the music in the menu replay, and he opened a cupboard. Honestly, he had no clue what they had. There were some half-eaten bags of chips, and Kurt scrunched his nose. Next to it was a Hershey bar.

"Would chocolate do?" His stomach was still in knots, and he doubted he'd be able to eat anything, much less anything like junk food.

"Chocolate will always do," Blaine replied with a cheeky grin, and Kurt shut the cupboard door before smiling back at him. He looked adorable pulled up in the couch, almost falling into the pillows. His head peered up over the rim, and Kurt shook his head, pulling himself over and back up against him. Blaine took the Hershey bar from him and carefully opened it before offering Kurt a piece.

"No, thanks. I'm good." Blaine shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"Suit yourself." With that he bit into it, and Kurt reached for the remote, pressing the play button. As the _Can-Can_ ended and the title flashed to "Paris, 1960", Kurt settled himself against Blaine again, pressing his head against the other boy's chest. He'd seen the movie enough times to be able to recite along with it, yet he kept his mouth shut up. He even managed to keep to a quiet hum when it came to _Your Song_.

_Elephant Medley_, however, it was too close to his heart not to sing along with. Blaine seemed to have the same idea, and Kurt's eyes flashed up to Blaine's as he began singing Ewan McGregor's part. It wasn't as if it was a bold declaration of love in song, but it still made Kurt bubble up. It still meant something. And the way Blaine's eyes would crinkle when he smiled down at him made Kurt attempt to press further against him, his fingers curling into Blaine's shirt.

"You are like a little kitten," Blaine said a few minutes after the song had finished. His hand reached up, and he slowly stroked Kurt's hair, smiling. "And I am insanely lucky." Kurt felt himself flush, and his smile widened.

"Oh, really?" Blaine just wrapped his other arm around Kurt and squeezed lightly.

Of course, sure enough, as soon as things started to get grim, Kurt's happy mood started to fade. When Satine started to cough blood, he sighed and curled up closer to Blaine. Worse yet was when she told Christian they couldn't be together. Kurt's hands balled at his sides and he felt a wave of disgust and loathing towards the Duke. He wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face himself.

And then the build-up to the final scene. Christian's depression he could deal with, no matter how much he wished he could see that Satine never left him out of spite. It was the end where they were reunited just for Satine to be snatched away. Every time he watched it, he was aware of how achingly _unfair_ this was. Kurt felt his eyes sting as the curtain closed and Satine fell.

"Kurt, it's okay," he heard Blaine coo above him, looking down worriedly. He looked saddened – Kurt was sure it would take a lot for someone not to be affected by this – but he wasn't near tears. Kurt almost felt embarrassed, yet Blaine looked so sincere and loving. He relaxed, and his eyes darted back to the screen, tears finally making their way through as Satine died.

"It's not fair," he choked out, burying his head as Christian cradled her and sobbed. Even their happy moments had been snatched from them by the Duke. One of Blaine's hands rested on top of his, and he heard a light shushing sound. The end of the film was almost there, and Blaine felt a hand nudge up his chin. Blaine gave him a shaky smile.

"You're adorable," he said before leaning in and closing the gap between their lips. Blaine's hand reached up, lightly laying on his cheek, and Kurt could feel it trembling. Still, the thumb played small circles, and Kurt tilted his head to give Blaine better access. The chocolate from the Hershey bar melted across the kiss, and Kurt ran his tongue over Blaine's lip, shivering slightly. Blaine let out a small contented sigh, and his other hand wrapped around Kurt's waist, pulling him closer. He nipped at Kurt's lower lip, and –

There was a cough from behind them. Kurt and Blaine pulled back to see Kurt's dad and Carole standing there. While his dad looked mostly uncomfortable, Carole had a small smile on her face and her eyebrows rose slightly as Blaine turned pink.

"We were wondering whether you wanted to stay for dinner," his dad said, coughing quietly. Kurt felt a wave of embarrassment. It wasn't even as if they were doing anything bad – it had just been a kiss – but still he felt as if he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. Besides, it wasn't exactly the sort of thing he wanted his dad and Carole to see.

Pulling his sleeve up to his face, he wiped away his tears and sniffed. Kurt edged away from Blaine somewhat, trying to put some space between them. "Where's Finn?" he asked, trying to get the conversation back on a normal track and ease things down.

"Finn's out with Puck and Matt today," Carole said, smiling. She turned her attention to Blaine. "But, really, if you'd like to stay over for dinner, you're more than welcome. We'd love to get to meet you." She smiled and Burt nodded in agreement.

"I – um – thank you." Blaine nodded and they pulled themselves up as Burt and Carole went to the kitchen. "I'll just tell my parents I was out with a few of the Warblers and Faith," Blaine muttered to Kurt, rubbing at his temple. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all, whatever keeps you safe." Sure, he wished he could say something and walk down the streets hand-in-hand with Blaine. But Blaine liked him, actually _liked_ him, and that was enough for now. Whatever happened, they could deal with it together as they best saw fit, and that was what was important.

They sat down at the table some thirty minutes later, and Kurt glanced around the table, wondering how the hell this conversation was going to pass. It wasn't something they had even known they had the possibility of dealing with. And considering it all, they were handling their surprise quite well.

"So, Blaine, you go to Dalton, right?" Carole finally said, twisting her spaghetti up and smiling over at him. Blaine chewed and swallowed before answering.

"Yeah, part of the Warblers and all. I guess I was just really lucky to meet Kurt. I mean, not that I wanted him to have a reason to come to Dalton. I mean, what happened was horrible, and I guess I'd rather –"Blaine was getting redder by the minute, and Burt choked on a piece of spaghetti, laughing. Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and squeezed lightly, and Blaine stopped talking.

"It's fine. You can relax," Kurt said, shaking his head. Blaine looked nervous. That wasn't to say that he wasn't either, but Blaine didn't seem to handle it too well. Then again, the whole "dinner with parents" thing was rather formal considering it was the first day.

"We're not going to bite," Carole said, shaking her head.

"And your parents? Are we going to get a chance to meet them?" Burt asked, and Kurt's and Blaine's faces instantly fell. Kurt could feel Blaine tense beside him, and he wished his dad hadn't had brought it up. Both Carole and Burt seemed to notice that it was a touchy subject, and they exchanged a glance.

"No, they're not really… accepting of the idea that I'm gay. Or, they don't know." Blaine's eyes fell down to his plate and his hands dropped the fork, curling up instead in his lap. He looked suddenly so withdrawn. Kurt made a note to explain to them what happened at practice later.

"We don't mean to pry. Really," Carole quickly said, taking another bite of the pasta and looking uncertain as to what to say.

"Are you into any sports?" Burt finally asked, looking desperate to break the awkward pause that had settled over them. Blaine's head perked up, and he looked relieved at the change of subject.

"Uh, yeah, actually. Football's pretty cool." Burt smiled and the tension ebbed away. At least that awkward bump was over. Kurt couldn't help but feel pleased. As long as nothing like that happened again, this dinner might not turn out to be all that bad of an idea. _Besides, the sooner Dad and Carole could get to like Blaine, the better._

KBKBKBK

"Deets," Mercedes demanded, sitting herself down beside Kurt. Kurt could tell she was barely containing herself, and as she beamed widely and bounced on the bed a bit, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Well, uh, he kissed me a few days ago."

"What! And you didn't even think to call me or at least text?" She gave him a stern look, and Kurt sighed. Thinking back to how horrified he'd felt after Blaine had run out of the room, he figured he probably wouldn't have wanted to discuss it with Mercedes.

"It wasn't that easy. He freaked out and ran away. I just went to Nick and Jeff's room and passed out." Honestly, he wouldn't have been able to talk with anyone in great depth. He had thought everything with Blaine was finished. It almost seemed funny if he thought that now Blaine was his boyfriend. Kurt still was having trouble wrapping his mind around that last bit.

"And so what happened? I mean, clearly he's still not mad at you."

"No, not at all…" Kurt smiled, and his hand reached up, his fingers grazing against his lips.

"Oh, look at you. You're so hopeless." Mercedes pulled him into a quick, tight hug, and Kurt grinned at her.

"I am not!" He didn't even sound the least bit upset, and when she raised an eyebrow, he gave her a sheepish look.

"But, really, what happened? I heard his dad came to practice." Kurt's smile fell, and his fists clenched at his sides.

"More like ruined the practice. Yeah, it turned out Blaine didn't know how to react because his parents are homophobic, and his whole relationship with Faith is fake, and he's just scared, and…" Kurt sighed, wishing he could do more for Blaine than just 'be there' for him.

"Sounds like a pain in the ass." Mercedes looked angered as well. Upon noticing Kurt's gaze, though, her expression softened, and she patted his shoulder. "At least it kind of got you two together…"

"Kind of. He promised to tell me even before his dad stormed in, though. It was actually Faith who made him – err – come out with it." He felt bad for having hated Faith at one point. All that time, Blaine had known and had been in the wrong, and he had chased after Faith. At least now he could understand why Blaine had been so defensive whenever he had tried to bring it up.

"So, what exactly happened?"

"Uh, he basically told me everything, and then we kissed again." Mercedes squealed and gave him a reprimanding look – though the smile at the corner of her lips gave her away.

"Kurt Hummel, you'd better tell me more details than just that. You have a _boyfriend_, and more than that, it's Blaine. And I know you. You're probably squealing just as much as me on the inside." Kurt chuckled though he nodded.

"Alright, details, then."

KBKBKBK

He hadn't expected to run into William at Wendy's. There had been one car left, and Kurt had needed to buy some things, and Finn had been hungry. So, when they came in and saw William eating there at ten o'clock, Kurt excused himself and walked over.

"Hey." William's head shot up, and he gave Kurt a tired smile.

"Hey yourself." His hand reached up fiddling with his grey beanie, and Kurt felt a small jolt thinking back to what it meant to William.

"How's your break so far?" Kurt wasn't sure exactly what to say to him.

"Well, it's only been one day. But not horrible, I suppose." He shrugged and glanced back down at his fries before grabbing one and dipping it into his frosty. Kurt crinkled his nose but said nothing.

"Not horrible? That doesn't sound too good either." William sighed and forced a smile onto his face as he chewed.

"No, no, it's fine. You know me – dramatic and whatnot." He paused before adding quietly. "So, you and Blaine, huh?" Kurt deflated slightly. It had slipped his mind until now how William would react when he found out. Of course William wouldn't be happy about it, but Kurt could tell that he was trying his best.

"Yeah, it was… surprising." What was he supposed to say – that it was amazing? That he doubted he had ever felt happier? That wouldn't have exactly been fair to William.

"It's okay, Kurt." William grabbed another fry and dipped it before looking up at Kurt again. "I want you to be happy. I mean, I know I'm being…" He waved his hands around a bit, searching for the right word, but just gave up. "I know I'm being like this, and it isn't really helping, but, honestly, if I can't have you, you'd better have someone who can make you smile. And Blaine definitely makes you smile." He let out a shaky sigh.

"William –"

"It looks like Finn's done ordering." He motioned over to where Finn was standing and grabbing his food. "Look, we'll hang out sometime later over the break, and I promise I'll be better. Please don't try to…" Again he seemed at a loss of words. "I don't want to say 'fix this' because there's nothing to fix. But you know what I mean." Kurt nodded, feeling his eyes prickle a bit.

He didn't even need to imagine how William was feeling. He had felt it every time he thought about Faith, but at least he had known that Faith was there from the beginning. But with William, Kurt was sure somewhere deep inside; he had thought or hoped that he had still had a chance. And knowing that he was with Blaine must have killed him. Yet here he was, smiling up at him.

"Oh, hey." Finn and William had met more than once when William had been over at Kurt's house.

"Hey." Of course, it had been fairly limited interaction.

"So, Kurt, are you ready?" Finn looked between both of them, his brow furrowing. He looked mildly confused, but at least he had the manners and tact to keep his mouth shut. William gave Kurt a final look as if to tell him to leave, and Kurt nodded.

"Yeah, ready to go."

"Cool. See you later, Will." William gave an awkward sort of wave and focused his attention back on his food as the two of them walked away. They walked out to the car, and Finn opened the Wendy's bag, pulling out a hamburger. It wasn't until they had gotten in the car that Finn said anything else, though. "So, did you two, like, go out at one point?" Kurt sighed.

"That is –" He shook his head. "Just don't worry about it, Finn."

* * *

><p><strong>And then I make it end on a sadder note with William. I'm great at this "uplifting" thing.<strong>

**Also: Which rumors have you heard that you hope are true? Which ones do you hope are just rumors?**


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Author's Note**: Holy crap, it's been ages since I've updated. I totally lost interest and got into Niff, and now I'm into Seblaine (don't kill me for going to the dark side). It's been crazy, and I finally finished this. It's unedited though. I apologize for that. I hope you like it. I'll try to contact my old beta, but I kind of abandoned everything. Sigh. I love you all, and I'm really, really, really sorry! Without further ado, here's chapter eighteen.

Chapter Eighteen

"We've had coffee at the Lima Bean a million times. It feels weird to be doing this as a couple now," Kurt said, looking around as if he expected the place to look different too. He laughed and leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. Blaine was looking at him with wide, eyes, giving him that dopey smile, his chin resting on the palm of his hand.

"Weird in a bad way?" Kurt shook his head.

"Of course not. It's just… _months_, Blaine – I spent months trying to convince myself that this could only happen in my head, and here we are."

"Believe me when I say I know the feeling." They both just grinned at each other, and Kurt took another sip of his coffee. "You know, kissing you had to have been the best mistake of my life." Kurt flushed.

"Mistake?" Blaine's eyes shot open, and he waved his arms.

"No, no, not like that! Just, I wasn't sure I was ready to come out, and I didn't mean to at the time, I just kind of ended up doing it because it felt right. It just was unplanned, and you saw how I ran away –" Kurt wasn't sure he'd ever heard anyone talk that quickly, and his voice was steadily rising in pitch.

"Relax, Blaine, I knew what you meant. It just sounded bad." Blaine seemed to deflate, and he bit his lip before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Three more days until dress rehearsals," Blaine muttered, his attempt to change subject obvious. Kurt reached out, laying his hand on top of Blaine's and squeezing.

"It's fine. I promise. I know you're glad that we're together. You are, aren't you?" Blaine nodded.

"Of course. I'm glad I don't have to hide it. And now I can do this –" he laced their fingers together and ran his thumb over the front of Kurt's hand, "– and you don't have to spend hours trying to decipher what it meant," he teased.

"I did not spend _hours_ trying to figure it out." Blaine cocked an eyebrow, and Kurt looked right back at him, lips pursed.

"Sure, sure." When Kurt continued to look at him that way, he laughed. "You know I'm just teasing you, Kurt."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Still, what Blaine said was true. He had spent hours on end agonizing over the tiniest details, things that now seemed trivial and obvious. Of course, Kurt knew it had been anything but trivial and obvious when he had been going on, in any case. "You're really… cute when you bite your lower lip nervously like that," Kurt commented, the word cute felt foreign coming out of his mouth.

"And this coming from you?" Blaine laughed, his eyes softening.

"I mean…" Kurt felt his cheeks heat up, and Blaine shook his head. Kurt paused, taking another sip of his coffee, staring at Blaine. Blaine seemed to be in his own world for a moment, his eyes staring down at the table, unfocused.

He had no clue how this had all worked out. Everything seemed so surreal, and Kurt felt afraid that he would say something wrong, and everything would change. He knew that was absurd; Blaine wouldn't do that to him, but it still was hard to process.

Kurt was about to say something when his phone buzzed. Blaine's did a moment later. Kurt's brow furrowed as he took out his phone, looking at the screen.

"**So, how are you two lovebirds doing?**" The text was from Jeff. Kurt heard a groan from Blaine.

"Nick texted me," he muttered, showing Kurt the text. It was the same as Kurt's, and he showed him his own.

"They would say that," Kurt said, quickly writing back a reply. "**We're not lovebirds. But good.**"

"You texting him back?" Blaine asked, and Kurt nodded. "I'll let you handle it, then. You're closer with them than I am, in any case."

"Well, they took me under their wings when I transferred. I don't know what I would've done without them. And they certainly helped me a lot with you." Before Blaine could respond, Kurt's phone went off.

"**So, are you lovebirds able to give up some of your spring break to hang with two, lonely, unloved teenage boys?**" Kurt snorted and quickly covered his mouth. Laughing, Blaine's eyes went soft, and he reached over, running his fingers down Kurt's arm.

"You're adorable." A blush spread across Kurt's cheeks as he looked up at Blaine.

"I don't think I'm ever going to tire of you saying that."

"You'd better not because I don't plan on stopping anytime soon." For a moment, they leaned together over the table and their lips pressed together. Blaine's hand moved up to Kurt's cheek, his thumb running lightly across the skin for a moment. Kurt's breath caught in his throat, and he shivered.

His phone buzzed again.

"**Stop kissing and love usssss. Besides, you'll have plenty of time for that later.**" Kurt pulled back.

"What should I tell them?" Blaine paused for a moment, clearly thinking it over.

Well, I guess we could hang out with them. Besides, I have the rest of spring break with you. And rehearsals start up again soon." Kurt nodded, and Kurt picked up his phone again.

"**Alright. What's the plan? It better be good.**"

"You want to start heading out?" Blaine asked, and Kurt nodded. Their hands fell together, and Blaine squeezed it lightly, his thumb running across the top of Kurt's hand. Kurt smiled over at him as they made their way out of the Lima Bean. As they waited for Jeff to respond, they leaned back against the wall. Kurt tilted over, curling against Blaine. His head pressed against his shoulder, and he looked up at him.

Blaine's phone buzzed this time, and they both laughed. "Somehow, I'm not surprised," Blaine commented as he took out his phone. "Uh, Nick says, 'Gotcha. So, it's that go kart place. Blaine, you remember, we dragged you there several times.' Oh, I do remember that place!" Blaine laughed as Kurt bit his lip.

"Go Karting? Don't you have to wear helmets for that?" His hand automatically moved to his hair, and Blaine grinned at him.

"Have an issue with helmets, Kurt?" Kurt flushed and shook his head, still smoothing down his hair a bit as if doing it in advance would somehow help.

"No, I'm fine. Tell them we can go to that –" Kurt's phone buzzed.

"**Fifteen minutes. Be there**," Jeff's phone read.

"There," Kurt finished, sighing. "I guess they already decided for us." He smiled and quickly typed back. "**Sounds good. If my hair's an absolute mess, I'll kill you.**"

"Oh, uh, and Kurt?" Blaine said, suppressing a laugh.

"Yeah?"

"Nick says that they're bringing a camera."

"They're just trying to make this miserable for me, aren't they?" Kurt asked with a pout, though his lips quickly twitched back into a smile. As much as the thought of unruly hair bothered him, he couldn't stay angry at Nick and Jeff.

Kurt and Blaine made their way over to the car, and they got in. Blaine tilted over, leaning over and running his fingers through Kurt's hair. He pressed a light kiss to Kurt's temple and was about to move down to his lips again when there was a buzz from his pocket. He flushed and showed Kurt the text.

"**Don't start kissing again or we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives for you,**" the text read, and Kurt shook his head.

"How do they even know?" he asked, and Blaine shrugged in response.

"They're Nick and Jeff." He pulled out of the parking lot, and Kurt got out his phone, texting Jeff.

"**It's like you two bugged us on our date.**" He only had to wait a moment before he got a reply from Jeff.

"**You never know. ;) Nah, I'm kidding, that's creepy, but we just know you and Blaine. And your affinity for kissing. Are you on your way?**" Kurt quickly texted back that they were and slipped his phone in his pocket.

His eyes closed, and he smiled to himself. After a moment, he felt Blaine's hand fall on his knee, squeezing lightly. Kurt's hand went on top of his, and he ran his thumb across it, feeling the shiver that ran through Blaine. "Blaine?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I have you. I mean, not just like that, but – I'm just really lucky." He opened his eyes, resting his head against the cold window.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one." He squeezed one final time and lifted that hand to the wheel, turning a corner.

"Maybe we should have just gone home and cuddled," Kurt mumbled, his hand going up to his hair to straighten it as if that would somehow lessen the effects of wearing the helmet later.

"It'll be fun. I promise. Besides, you know Nick and Jeff when they get their mind to things." Kurt looked at his phone, Jeff's text lit up.

"Yeah, I think I know exactly what you're talking about." They chuckled, and Kurt sat up, looking out at the cars in front of them.

"But after this we can cuddle, right?" They pulled to a stop in front of a red light, and Blaine looked over at Kurt, grinning.

"Nah, I think I'm good," he teased. Kurt's hand moved out, nudging him lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. We can cuddle as long as you want."

"Good. I'm going to hold you to that, you know," Kurt said with a slight nod. Blaine laughed, reaching out and running the backs of his fingers down Kurt's cheek. Leaning forward, he pressed a quick kiss to his lips before looking out in front of him as the light changed to green.

Kurt's fingers went to his lips, and he smiled, leaning back into his chair, completely relaxed. Blaine's hand reached out, and he turned the radio on softly, letting the music murmur in the background. They didn't talk much during the rest of the ride, and Kurt mostly hummed along to the music. The drive wasn't that much longer, and when they pulled into the parking lot, they saw Nick and Jeff waiting around.

They saw Blaine car and jumped up, chasing after them as they moved to a parking spot and parked their car. Kurt had barely gotten out of the car before Jeff was hugging him. They stumbled backwards into the car, and Kurt's eyes widened as he stiffened slightly.

"I missed you, Kurtsie," Jeff said, pouting.

"Kurt."

"It was lonely without you," Nick agreed, coming out from the other side next to Blaine.

"Something tells me you two managed just fine," Blaine said with a chuckle, looking over at Kurt as Jeff pulled back. Kurt straightened his shirt and pants and cleared his throat as he glanced over at Nick and Blaine. Jeff bounced over to them as well, and he swung his hands from side to side.

"This is going to be so awesome," Jeff said.

"We're totally going to beat you in every race. We got this down," Nick said.

"Hours of playing driving video games will finally pay off." Jeff mimicked driving around, making 'vroom' noises. Nick joined in after a moment, and Kurt stood, arms cross, watching them zoom around in circles around the cars. Blaine moved over next to Kurt carefully and leaned his head on Kurt's shoulder, chuckling as he watched them move around.

"So, this is how they spend their spring break?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow as they swerved and nearly ran into each other.

"Something like this. Not that it really surprises me," Blaine replied with a laugh.

"Should we interrupt them or –"

"Nah, this is too fun to watch." Blaine laughed, pulling out his phone. "And perfect blackmail."

"You're horrible," Kurt said, though he had a wide smile on his face. Blaine pressed the record button, chuckling as they remained oblivious, moving around, pretending to drive.

A car turned into the parking lot, and Kurt jumped up. "Nick, Jeff, watch out –" The two of them turned their heads in response, but the car was only a few feet away. The driver seemed to be texting or distracted some way or another. Nick and Jeff yelped, jumping back out of the way as the car screeched to a halt in front of them. It honked and drove on, and Nick and Jeff pulled back blushing, their cheeks red.

"Well…" Jeff panted, out of breath, and he looked at Blaine and Kurt. "I guess… we should go in."

"About time," Kurt said, laughing and shaking his head.

"I can't believe I got that all," Blaine said, laughing as he quit recording and waved his phone in Nick and Jeff's faces.

"Hey!" Jeff snatched for it, but Blaine quickly pockets his phone, running towards the main entrance. Nick and Jeff chased after him, and Kurt followed behind, shaking his head at them. Boys would be boys. Still, he couldn't help but be reminded that he'd found a place. Dalton had become his other home, and the Warblers were like a family to him.

It didn't take long to pay the tickets and get inside. The instructions seemed long-winded and mostly obvious, but they listened all through them. Jeff and Nick rocked back and forth on their heels, and as they were handed helmets, and they slipped them on. Kurt was the only one who stared at his for a moment.

"It's not going to bite you," Blaine whispered, leaning into him as the instructor continued.

"I know, but just…" Kurt bit his lip.

"Personally, I'd imagine you'd be sexy with ruffled hair," Blaine said, winking. He put an arm around Kurt's waist, and Kurt leaned against him. "Though I am biased. I'm pretty sure you're always sexy." Kurt sighed and slipped his helmet on.

"Fine. Okay. Let's do this." Kurt put the helmet on, and Blaine reached out, buckling it for him. Kurt smiled and leaned forward, nudging their noses together.

"Hey, lovebirds, time to drive," Nick said, pointing at the go karts. Kurt and Blaine pulled back, and Kurt scowled.

"You two are ridiculous," Kurt mumbled, moving towards the go karts.

"Oh, shush. You know you love us," Nick said, laughing.

"Do you guys want to do singles or doubles first?" Jeff asked.

"How about doubles and then singles," Blaine said. That way I can help Kurt get used to it, and if he doesn't want to drive, he doesn't have to.

They nodded and got in, Blaine in the front and Kurt snuggled up right behind him. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist. "So, we just drive around this track?"

"Pretty much. I'll do it the first round, and then you can drive after that, okay?" Kurt nodded, and they waited for the signal to start. Once it hit, they zoomed off, Kurt letting out a yelp. They could feel the wind in their face, and Kurt pressed into his shoulder, glancing out at Jeff and Nick. They turned the corner, making a larger arch than intended, and Kurt nudged Blaine. Jeff and Nick laughed and zoomed ahead of them.

"They're winning. Blaine!" Kurt cried, watching Jeff and Nick turn the next part with ease as well. Nick, who was sitting behind Jeff, glanced back and stuck out his tongue as they got even further ahead. "Blaine!"

"I'm trying, Kurt," Blaine said, laughing. "And I thought you thought this was stupid."

"Doesn't mean I don't want to win," Kurt said with a pout, letting out another yelp as they swerved. They made a few more turns, gaining only a little on Jeff and Nick. Of course, Jeff and Nick won, and as they pulled to a stop, Jeff pulled out, dancing around in a circle.

"Told ya!" he said, laughing.

"We are the champions my friend!" Nick sang out, and Kurt shook his head.

"I'm driving next time," he muttered, and Blaine laughed.

"Competitive, are we?"

"Shut up."

They still lost with Kurt driving that time, and they made it three more rounds, only beating Nick and Jeff once. It was fun, and Kurt completely forgot about how distraught he had been over the helmet hair. Even wanting to win, though, he still couldn't help but smile over at Nick and Jeff and feel completely happy. He couldn't remember when was the last time he'd gone out and done something crazy like this.

It was when they started the singles that his competitive side really kicked in. Jeff won the first round, and Kurt was absolutely determined to beat him at some point. As it turned out, second round they were head to head at the end. Kurt bit his lip, turning and getting barely ahead of Jeff. He won by a second or two, and as they pulled to a stop again, he pointed at Jeff, sticking out his tongue.

"Fine, fair and square, I guess," Jeff said, laughing at Kurt. "Glad to see you're having fun, though, Kurtsie." Kurt smiled at Jeff, not bothering to correct him this time. As Blaine pulled to a stop as well, right behind Nick, he got out, hugging Kurt.

"Congratulations." He chuckled, and Kurt tilted his head to the side.

"What?" he asked Blaine, curling into him.

"Nothing. Just… I'm glad to see you happy. Besides, it's fun seeing this competitive side of you." Kurt nodded and laughed.

"Just wait until sectionals. You might not find it so… fun then." Blaine shook his head, and they continued on.

It was dark by the time they finally decided to go home. Kurt had managed to win a few more times, and Blaine had pulled his records up as well, though he still had the least out of all of them. Nick and Jeff bought a slushie as the park closed, sharing it, and Kurt and Blaine laughed.

"I swear to God, they're the most couple-ish friends I've ever seen," Kurt said, watching as Nick leaned into Jeff's shoulder and Jeff ruffled his hair. Nick leaned down, opening his mouth and missed the straw, and the two of them burst out into another fit of giggles.

"Agreed. But, hey, they're fun. And I'm glad they can be that comfortable around themselves." Kurt nodded, and Blaine turned to him again. "So, cuddling… you still are up for that, right?" Kurt smiled and slipped his hand into Blaine's, nodding.

KBKBKBK

Blaine's hand hooked around Kurt's neck as he leaned forward. Kurt moved closer, holding his breath for a moment before he felt Blaine's lips against his. A low whimper left his lips. This was all still so new for him, and each time he could still feel the dip in his stomach, the warmth that ran through him. And each time he was surprised to find how gentle Blaine's touch was. As if reading his thoughts, Blaine's thumb ran along Kurt's hairline, sending a shiver down his spine. His lips parted slightly, and Blaine mimicked the action. Kurt let out an unsteady breath, his arms wrapping around Blaine's waist.

A small cough broke them apart, and Kurt pulled away from Blaine. "S – Sorry. Bill wanted me to tell you guys to hurry it up. Um, I'll just…" Kurt turned around to see William's cheeks flush red as his eyes looked anywhere but at Kurt and Blaine. He shifted his weight from foot-to-foot and wrung his hands. "Okay, yeah, I'll s – see you guys later." William turned around, quickly darting off.

"I have to…" Kurt began, looking from where William was standing over to Blaine, feeling his heart knot.

"No, don't be silly. My goal isn't to make him miserable, you know." Blaine gave him a small smile. Kurt nodded and ran after William, catching up with him and grabbing him by the wrist. William tugged to get free, his eyes opening wide. Kurt's hand slipped down to his, giving it a light squeeze.

"Hey," Kurt murmured, and he could feel William relax. His shoulders slumped forward, and he looked up from behind his bangs.

"Hey, Kurt." His eyes fell down after a moment, and he sighed, straightening his shoulders. "I didn't mean to freak you out. I just… It's just… weird seeing you guys together like that. I don't know." Pulling his hand from Kurt's, he slipped them into his pockets and they began walking towards the stage.

"No, it's fine. We just didn't think you'd walk in. I've already talked to Blaine about not kissing in front of you. He understands. I'm sure if he was in your place…" They walked in and looked up as Bill barked at them.

"Took your sweet time. C'mon, it's our last run-through before dress rehearsals."

"Sorry," they both said, moving up as they waited for Blaine.

"You really don't have t – to do that for me," William said, continuing the previous conversation. His hand reached up, nervously combing through his hair. "It's really fine. I'll deal with it. I don't want to… to be a burden or a bother."

"You're neither of those things. Promise." He looked at William, offering a reassuring smile. They looked away from each other, and Kurt's brow furrowed. There was someone sitting in the seats, looking up at them. He looked like he was their age. He had shorter black hair which was spiked up in the front, and he looked curiously at them. Was he here for the musical? That didn't make sense. Kurt turned to William to ask him whether he knew anything about it, but William beat him to it.

"Who is that?" Kurt shrugged, his head tilting to the side. Blaine made his way out as well, and Kurt smiled over at him. Blaine made his way over to Faith, and Kurt stayed by William's side.

"Alright, that's everybody then," Bill said, clapping his hands together once. "Don't mind that. That's my son, Samuel. There was a mishap at school, and he had to be picked up. Our house is a bit out of the way." Samuel offered everyone a smile and shifted a bit in his seat. Kurt could feel William tense up next to him.

"He has a Doctor Who shirt on!" William whispered excitedly. "I've… I've never met anyone else who watches it."

"Huh?" Kurt looked over at him, brow furrowed, but William simply shook his head, continuing to stare wide-eyed at Samuel.

"Okay, let's start with _La Vie Boehme_. A few of you are still having trouble with some dance moves." The table was set up for them already, and they got into position, William glancing behind him one final time at Samuel before sitting down next to Kurt. Blaine smiled at Kurt, and Kurt smiled back before their attention drifted to Jeff who began singing.

The rehearsals lasted an hour longer than they should have, and by the end Kurt's head hurt. They had gone over one part of _La Vie Boehme_ _B _right after where Mimi and Roger kiss several times, and while he knew they were nothing but friends, it still bothered Kurt to see them kiss over and over again. He rubbed at his eyes and sighed, finally gathering everything together when they were done. His feet hurt from the heels Bill had made him put on halfway through just to make sure he could get everything down with them.

"Should I tell him?" William hovered around his shoulder, looking nervous.

"Tell him what?" Kurt asked, stretching and pulling out of his shirt to change into another one. William paused for a moment, and Kurt's brow furrowed. "Ask him what?" He turned around to see William looking at him wide-eyed. A blush fell on Kurt's cheeks, and he cleared his throat as he slipped on the new one.

"I – uh – Sam… Samuel. About his shirt." Blaine came around, standing next to Kurt, careful not to wrap an arm around him or be overly affectionate. William bit his lip, suddenly shifting his weight as Blaine smiled at him.

"Hey, William," Blaine tried, and William nodded and waved nervously.

"Hey, Blaine."

"Look, if you want to, tell him," Kurt said, laughing. "I promise he won't be offended if you compliment his shirt." William nodded, and as they moved out towards they lot, he paused next to Samuel. Samuel was picking up his backpack, and as he turned around, William moved his weight from foot to foot.

"I like your shirt," William said, offering a timid smile. A broad one broke across Samuel's face.

"Doctor Who's the best. Who's your favorite Doctor?"

"Ten," William said, biting his lip as his smile broadened. Kurt and Blaine walked past, not wanting to bother them or seem like they were intruding. As they opened the doors to move out of the theater, Kurt glanced behind him. William and Samuel were still stuck in conversation, William's hands moving about as he talked excitedly about something. Kurt smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>So, there it is. Also, if you want to pester me about writing the next chapter, go to my Tumblr, and you'll know everything about what I'm writing and just... everything about me, actually, haha. It's acciograntgustin.<strong>

**Also: What do you think of season three so far? :D**


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